


The Drowned Rat and the Commander

by Sira, ufp13



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-26
Updated: 2012-02-26
Packaged: 2017-10-31 18:54:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/347313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sira/pseuds/Sira, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ufp13/pseuds/ufp13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Saving a damsel in distress, Commander Bill Adama meets the Secretary of Education. The glimpse of her he gets during the brief time they spend in each other's company leaves him curious. As things develop, Laura has to face the wrath of her ex-lover.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. 
> 
> I owe ufp13 a million thanks. She was my co-author, beta, cheerleader and artist.  
> Thank you so much, hon! I could’ve never done it without you.  
> Of course, I claim all remaining mistakes… they are M.I.N.E!

Not right now, not at this time, or in this place. With her eyes closed, shutting out the world around her, she had the freedom of letting her mind roam freely, to let it go wherever she wanted it to. Maybe just nowhere at all. A soft sigh escaped her, and she concentrated on the sensations surrounding her: the warmth of the sun on her skin, the faint breeze ruffling her hair, and the chilly water cooling her feet. This was bliss. 

Those quiet times when she could actually flee the office and enjoy a little downtime were seldom and far between, but from time to time, she just needed it to counterbalance her stressful everyday life. 

Not that anyone would miss her right now anyway. There were no further meetings scheduled for the day, or any other pressing matters she had to concentrate on for that matter. She knew her aide was preparing her next trip off planet, and the rest of her staff was probably busy with answering calls, running the office and doing everything else that needed to be done. As always when the president was out of town, things ran a little more quietly though, people all around her relaxing visibly. Wasn’t he on some business trip to Picon right now? She found she didn’t really care, and let her thoughts drift back to nothing in particular. 

She didn’t hear the steps approaching quickly, not even the muffled curse when someone bumped into her from behind. Losing her balance without any forewarning, she fell forward, right into the icy water. Opening her mouth in surprise, water got stuck in her windpipe, and it made her cough as soon as she emerged from the cold depth. She blinked, an attempt to get some water out of her eyes. Being shocked to her core, she tried to stand up, thankful that the water only reached up to her waist. But she was still coughing violently when someone grasped her right hand and dragged her out of the pond. 

Before she could even try to say something, the man turned her around, patted her back, making her cough even harder for a moment until she finally calmed down enough to breathe regularly again. She took a deep shaking breath, turning on wobbly legs, grateful for the support the man’s strong arms still offered her. 

“Thank you.” Her voice was raspy, and she coughed again. When she was finally sure that no more coughs were forthcoming, she looked at her saviour for the first time. He was slightly older than her, just a few inches taller, had black hair and some of the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. His face was rather weathered, giving him a rugged charm. She smiled while he was still looking at her calmly. 

“Are you okay?” he asked. His voice was deep, husky, and she found she liked the sound of it. She almost broke into giggles at the thought. Only she could nurture thoughts like that after just having been dragged out of the water like some drowned rat. 

“Yes, I’m fine. Thanks.” She stretched before backing away from him with one big step. The jeans and the sweater he wore were splashed by water. “Oh gods, I’m dripping all over you. Sorry.” 

He gave her a small smile. “Doesn’t matter. It’s just a few droplets. You’re off worse, I’d say.” 

Looking down herself, she had to agree. Right now, there wasn’t one dry spot on her. “Frak,” she murmured not so quietly when she was faced with the reminder that she hadn’t just only decided to wear a white blouse today but a matching white bra. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Just awesome.” 

The man chuckled, obviously entertained by the show she was providing. She glared at him to no avail. 

He nodded as if he had just decided something. “Well, why don't you let me accompany you to where you have some dry clothes, your home, office... You can have my jacket for the meantime. What do you say?” 

She actually liked that thought. Running around Caprica City like this wasn’t what she felt like doing right now. Going back to the office wasn’t an option either, really. The last thing she wanted was to read about herself in the next morning’s newspaper because she’d worn a see-through blouse. And someone would talk, that much was certain. All politicians were political animals, and there were more than a few around who weren’t exactly smitten with her. If one of those or their staffers saw her like that… 

“Thanks, that sounds great,” she said, taking his jacket after he had shrugged out of it. It was warm and smelled like some spicy cologne and the man it belonged to. She wanted to set off when one of his hands on her arm stopped her. 

“Wait,” he let go of her and took a handkerchief out of one of his trouser pockets. “May I?” he asked, gesturing at her face. She reached up, swiping her finger over her face her, and looking at her fingers she saw the obvious traces of smeared make up. 

“Oh frak.” She didn’t know if to cry or break into laughter. Thanks to some idiot, she was looking like a tramp raiding Caprica City for customers. In the midst of the day in plain side of people who, as she just even started to notice, watched them, obviously interested in what they were doing. 

She gave him a curt nod. He reached up, holding her chin with one hand while the other gently wiped away the smeared make up. His rough palm on her jaw, the gentle touch of his other hand felt… good, too good, making her blink two times in rapid succession to shake herself out of it. 

“Hold still.” There was something commanding in his voice, something that instantly made her want to object, but she bit her tongue. He meant well, and she owed him. 

“Finished.” He presented her the handkerchief for inspection. It was covered in blue, black and some light pink. So much for waterproof makeup. 

“Thank you.” Again she meant to move; again he stopped her. “What?” 

“Haven’t you forgotten about something?” 

What the… Forgotten about something? Her dignity, maybe? Well, too late for that, it had drowned somewhere in that pool over there. She smiled at him; her best politician’s smile this time. 

“And what would that be?” 

He chuckled, and she bit the inside of her cheek. “What about your shoes?” 

Shoes? Looking down, she realised that she was barefoot and her shoes were still where she had left them. Oh for the love of the gods, she shouldn’t have gotten up this morning. Maybe this was just some insane nightmare she would wake up from any moment. She liked the thought. 

“Thank you.” She turned her back to him, retrieving her shoes. At least these were dry and unmarred. She slipped into them quickly, walking back to him. Although his expression was nearly unreadable, she could swear that he was amused by the whole situation. Well, that was nothing she could help at the moment. Right now, she had to get back home and get changed. 

“Shall we?” 

When he nodded, she led the way. It was a mere ten minutes walk, and they walked side by side in silence. She was glad that he didn’t insist on small talk as she really didn’t feel up to it. One time, she eyed him from the side. There was something about this man, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Well, whatever it was, it had to wait. She was still dripping, and all she wished for was a towel and something to change into. 

More than a few people they walked by gave them queer looks in passing. Laura resigned to the fact that she would have to endure this. With her wet clothes and messed up hair she must be quite the sight. Thanks to her job, she was used to constant scrutiny; but she never had been the object of public interest because she had just made a wet fool of herself. Not that it had been her fault to begin with. 

When they reached her apartment building, she turned to her companion. She watched him, and he bore her scrutiny patiently. Right now, she had two options: handing him his jacket and sending him home, or invitng him in. On the one hand, she didn’t feel like company, not looking like this, but on the other hand… 

“Well,…“ she shrugged out of his jacket and held it out to him. “Thanks for lending me your jacket.” 

“You’re welcome.” He took the jacket from her, his fingers brushing hers lightly, and she was surprised at the small jolt of electricity she felt. He was still watching her, waiting for her to say something. 

She finally made her decision. “Can I offer you a cup of coffee?” 

At that, he smiled. “I’d like that.” 

She nodded, turned to the door, but not before noticing that his gaze had dropped to her chest. Looking down herself, she saw that her blouse was still completely see-through, and that the wind had turned her nipples into tight pebbles. Frakking fantastic. 

They didn’t speak during the elevator ride to her apartment. Laura had her arms crossed tightly across her chest. 

Once inside her flat, she showed her guest her living room, asking him to make himself comfortable while she’d go to get changed and put on some coffee. 

She quickly tapered over to her kitchen, preparing the coffee before she walked over to her bathroom where she shed the soaked clothes, throwing them over the hem of her bathtub. Putting on a bathrobe, she surveyed the damage in the mirror. Her hair looked like it had been subjected to a tornado, and there were still some small traces left of her make-up. She cleaned her face first, not bothering with fresh make-up before brushing her hair, not particularly caring about its still rather messy look. 

She walked over to her bedroom. Taking a jeans, underwear and a blouse out of her closet, she quickly put on the clothes. Deciding against socks or any footwear, she left for the kitchen where she entered right in time. 

“How do you like your coffee?” she called out to her guest, knowing that he’d be able to hear her from over there. Her apartment was spacious but not that spacious. 

“Black, thank you.” 

Adding some milk to her own cup, she took the two cups and made her way over to her living room. He had chosen the armchair opposite the large window; the one with the view on the harbour and the ocean. It was her favourite seat as well. The thought made her smile. 

She handed him his cup, taking the seat right opposite of his. He quietly took in her appearance, the gleam in his eyes giving her the feeling he liked what he saw. 

“So…,” she started, not quite sure what was the appropriate thing to say in this kind of situation. Maybe she shouldn’t have invited him after all. 

“So…” he repeated. 

“I think I should thank you for helping me out. So, thank you very much.” 

He nodded, his quiet expression still solemn. “You’re welcome. Well, I could hardly have left you in the pond, could I?” he asked dryly. 

She rolled her eyes. “I still can’t quite believe all of this. It happened so fast. I hadn’t even heard that man running towards me. If it was a man, that is.” 

“It was a man. He ran as if the minions of Hades were hot on his heels. He turned to look at something behind him and bumped right into you. Believe it or not, he ran even faster afterwards. Too fast to get a hold of him.” 

“Ah, well. An apology would have been nice, but I think he had his own problems and couldn’t be bothered.” 

He looked down into his coffee cup, chuckling. “Seemed so.” 

“So, Mr.…?” 

He looked up at her, and once again, she found herself mesmerized by his blue eyes. “Adama, William Adama.” 

“So, Mr. Adama, do you live in Caprica City?” 

His eyes twinkled amused at her feeble attempt of conversation. “Yes, I do. Mrs.…?” 

“Roslin, Laura Roslin.” She didn’t correct him about her marital status. It was none of his business anyway. 

He just nodded. Silence spread once more, although in her peripheral vision, she could see that he eyed her between sips of his coffee as much as she did him. 

“It’s a nice place you have here.” 

“Yes, it really is. Although I might still pay for it on my deathbed,” she offered self-deprecating. 

Living space in Caprica City was always expensive, no matter what kind of suburban hood one choose, but Athens topped them all. Add the apartment’s sea view to the picture, and she knew why she’d never be able to drop out of politics. She needed the pay checks. 

“Can’t be that bad, can it?” 

“You have no idea.” 

They shared a smile. 

“But the view’s spectacular.” 

“Yes, it is. Makes it worth it.” 

“Worth it?” 

She knew she had said too much. What she meant was worth to stay with her job, worth to stay with Richard, worth to put up with her meagre private life, but that was nothing she could or even wanted to tell him. So she gave him her best fake smile even though she had the feeling he could see right through it. 

“Worth to pay for it for an unspecified amount of time.” 

“I see.” He held his now empty cup up to her. “Where’s your kitchen?” 

“Oh, don’t bother. Just put it onto the table. Can I offer you another one?” 

“No, thank you.” He got up, smiling, offering his hand to her. 

She got up as well, taking it and they shook hands. 

“It was nice to get to meet you, Mrs. Roslin.” 

“Ms. Roslin.” What did she have to lose by stating the truth? Chances were high she would never see him again. 

“Well, then it was nice getting to meet you, Ms. Roslin.” 

She gave him a warm smile. “Likewise, Mr. Adama.” 

Laura accompanied him to the door, and just a moment later, he was gone. It was funny, but Laura really didn’t know how she felt about that.


	2. Chapter 2

“Secretary Roslin? There’s a call for you. Someone named William Adama. Do you want to take it?” 

William Adama? Laura looked at her secretary for a long moment until realisation hit her. Adama, the man who had dragged her out of that pond about two weeks ago. He was calling her? In her office? They had never talked about their respective professions. So how did he know how to reach her? Not that she was entirely disappointed that he tried to contact her. He had a charismatic way that had fascinated her… 

“Secretary Roslin?” 

She snapped back to reality. “Yes, Julie, put the call through to me and close the door, please.” 

When her aide had left the office, she picked up the phone. Some moments later, she heard the telltale click that told her that the line was open. 

“Laura Roslin.” 

“Ms. Roslin, it’s William Adama. We… met… some days ago.” 

In spite of herself, she laughed out. “Well, that’s one way to put it. What can I do for you, Mr. Adama?” 

“I wanted to know if you’re interested in having dinner with me Friday night.” 

She definitely hadn’t expected this, and it left her speechless for some seconds. It had been years since someone she barely knew had asked her out to dinner. Come to think of it, she hadn’t been on a date in close to two years; a depressing thought. 

Well, this now might have come as a surprise but not an unwelcomed one. Maybe it had been the see-through blouse, she thought dryly. If that was the case, she might need to wear it more often. 

“Do you have a moment? I have to check my timetable with my aide.” Laura actually held her breath, hoping he wouldn’t try to back out now. He wouldn’t be the first man either. But this was her job, and she had a tight schedule. There was nothing she could change about this. 

“Sure.” One simple word, but spoken with a calm conviction that assured Laura. 

Gods, with this voice of his she could listen to him all day. 

“Thanks, I’ll be back with you in a minute.” 

She opened a line to Julie, and after re-arranging two late meetings, she had cleared her schedule for Friday night. 

“Mr. Adama?” 

“Yes.” 

“I could clear my schedule for Friday evening. So where would you like to go?” 

“I’ve thought about this little place where they offer Libran food. I don’t think you’ll know it. But of course only if you like Libran cuisine, that is?” 

“Very much. This sounds lovely.” 

“I’ll come and pick you up at your apartment at half past seven then if that’s all right with you?” 

“Sounds perfect. See you Friday.” 

“Yes.” 

He ended the call, and Laura sat still for some long moments, stunned. So she really had a date. This Friday. The thought made her giddy. A real date, who would have thought? 

She started to ponder; if he’d pick her up at half past seven this would even give her the chance to make an appointment with her hairdresser earlier that day. Yes, that sounded like a good idea. Picking up the phone again, she quickly scheduled an appointment for something she really didn’t have the money for but what she thought might be worth it anyway. 

 

*** 

 

It was roughly an hour later when Julie came in again. “Madame Secretary? It’s time for your appointment with the president.” 

“Yes, thank you, Julie.” Picking up the files she had prepared earlier, she followed Julie out of her office. Richard’s office was five floors up, and like she used to, she took the stairs instead of the elevator. Not only did she seriously dislike these small, confined spaces but she was thankful for the opportunity to move a bit. Thanks to her job, she sat for most of the day, and sometimes even the night. Never mind that, lately, her workload had increased to a level that didn’t even give her time for her regular swimming sessions. 

Ignoring the odd looks she got when she pushed up the door at Richard’s level, she walked over to his secretary’s desk. 

“Hi, Marla. I’m here for my five p.m. appointment.” 

Richard’s secretary, a cheerful woman in her sixties, smiled brightly at Laura. “As if I didn’t know.” She winked. 

Marla and she had always gotten along pretty well, and more than once, Laura had spent some public holiday or the other with Marla and her family. 

“You’re even lucky today. His mood’s not that bad at all.” She beckoned Laura to come closer. “I heard, but that has to stay between you and me, that he’s got some nice juicy information about Marshall. You know, it seems that Marshall has this new nice house right at the seaside. Only bought it about six months ago, and that although he was more or less broke at that time. Remember the last stock exchange crash? Well, it also seems Marshall liked to gamble and rumour has it he lost pretty much all of his savings that day. The only thing people don’t know yet is who actually paid for Mr. Mayor’s nice, cosy home. Anyway, I expect to read all about Caprica City’s latest scandal in the newspaper within the next few days.” 

Laura nodded thoughtfully. Marshall was Richard’s direct opponent for the office of president this time round, and the next election was only another six months away. “That’s really good news. Maybe the next election will be a quiet affair after all.” 

“So say we all. But don’t let him wait for too long. We don’t want to spoil his mood, do we?” She chuckled, more or less shooing Laura away. 

“I wouldn’t dare, Marla.” With a grin, she rounded Marla’s desk, opening the door to Richard’s office after a quick knock. 

He was sitting behind his desk, engrossed in some reading, not even looking up when she entered. Laura wasn’t faced by his behaviour, she knew quite well that it didn’t mean any disrespect, that it just was his way. Not only with her, but with everyone. Years and years ago, it had irritated her, made her feel insecure, but she’d long since then learned not think anything about it. 

She had nearly reached his desk, when he sat back, looking up at her, his eyes widening slightly at her decent, yet rather low-cut blouse, accompanied by a matching skirt. 

“Laura. It’s always a pleasure to see you.” 

“Richard.” She sat down on the chair in front of him. Putting her files onto the desk, she opened the first one. “Here’s the latest compilation about the different high school systems in all of the twelve colonies. And by the way, within the last three years, the rate of pupils leaving high school with a diploma increased by twelve percent.” 

He nodded at her, smiling. “You look good.” 

She smiled back. “Thanks. But I understood that you’re on a tight schedule, so if I might interest you in the latest figures again…?” 

“Just leave the reports here when you leave. I’ll take a look at them later on. Come on here.” 

“Richard…” 

“Yeah, yeah, this is not a good idea, I know. Come over anyway.” 

She sighed, but got up as he had asked her to do, walked around his desk and sat down on his lap. He slid one arm around her waist, the other reaching up, his hand tangling in her hair, pulling her to him. He kissed her deeply, his tongue sliding into her mouth, brushing against hers while his hand travelled from her hair down her front, stroking her right breast through the thin fabric of her blouse. She moaned out quietly at the contact, could feel his interest stirring against her thigh. When he opened the first button of her blouse though, she withdrew from him. 

“No, I’m sorry. I’ve got another meeting with the district superintendent in about twenty minutes.” 

Richard laughed out. “That leaves us plenty of time.” 

“Richard, no…” 

He pulled her to him again, kissing her hard, almost bruising thus shutting her up effectively. After a minute, he urged her out of the chair, and their gazes locked. She bit her lip not to moan out at the look of pure, predatory lust on Richard’s face. Even after all this time, he still had this effect on her. Maybe this was the reason why she never had managed to end their affair, and by the gods she had tried to more than once. Or maybe it was that there never had been a proper alternative, one worth pursuing. For a second, her date on Friday crossed her mind, but she shoved the thought quickly away. 

Reaching under her skirt, she grasped her panties, dragging them down, and stepped out of them. Richard used the time to unfasten his pants. Turning around, Laura shuffled some paper to the side before leaning forward, her arms coming to rest on the desk, her legs spreading wide. They knew each other way too well, had too much practice in the art of a quick office frak. While her mind still debated if this was a smart idea, her body throbbed with need, the wetness between her thighs feeling almost uncomfortably sticky. 

Richard’s hands were cool on the skin of her lower thighs when he took hold of the hem of her skirt, shoving it up so that it bunched at her hips. He stroked over her bare ass with feather-light touches for some long moments before he grasped her hips firmly, sheathing himself inside of her with one practised thrust. 

She couldn’t help the loud moan that escaped her, and she was thankful for the thick doors that muffled any sound from within this office. Still, one of Richard’s hands left her waist, covering her mouth when he started to thrust into her hard and fast. 

The gods may forgive her, but she revelled in the feelings Richard created within her as she met each of his thrusts with one of her own. They were good together, so good. Her breathing became faster, and it didn’t take long until her climax was building. She briefly wondered what people would say if they knew that the calm, serene Laura Roslin was indeed the instant gratification type, at least most of the time. Another few thrusts and Laura went over the edge, swallowing the scream of release that even Richard’s hand wouldn’t have covered. The tightening of her inner muscles around his cock brought Richard off as well. He became rigid behind her, grasped her hips tightly, most certainly leaving a bruise. 

They took a moment to catch their breaths, then Richard’s hand left her mouth, and he leaned forward, lifting her hair to kiss her neck gently. 

“You are amazing, Laura,” he whispered into her ear. 

“How nice of you to notice,” she responded still rather breathless. 

He pulled out of her, making her feel empty and dirty at once. That was the downside of having sex with Richard. As soon as it was over, she remembered all the reasons why it was indeed a very bad idea to give into his prodding. A shaky breath escaped her. She bit back the sigh that threatened to follow. Richard wouldn’t understand; he never did. Still refusing to turn to him, she made a step back, pulled down her skirt and retrieved her panties from the ground. Richard reached around her, procuring a hankie out of one of his desk drawers. 

“Thanks.” She used it to clean up as good as possible under these circumstances, throwing the hankie into the trash bin before she stepped back into her panties. Only when she knew that nothing of her troubled thoughts would show on her face any longer, she turned to him. 

Richard had sat down again. He was smiling at her like the cat that had swallowed the canary. 

“Well, Madame Secretary. This was indeed a very productive meeting. I have to thank you for a profound insight into some interesting matters.” 

She smiled back, but didn’t wonder when he didn’t realise that it wasn’t a real one. “It’s always a pleasure to serve you, Mr. President. If you’ll excuse me now, my meeting with the superintendent will start in about five minutes.” 

“But of course. I don’t want to keep you.” 

She nodded and was already on her way out when he called out to her again. 

“Laura?” 

She turned. “Yes?” 

“I almost forgot. Are you free on Friday? I would like to take you, Hodge and Stewart to this charity gala with me. Not only would it look good; you know… Caprica’s politicians actually caring about the people and so on, but I’m sure we could sneak away for a while in between.” 

Laura shook her head. “Sorry, Richard. I’m not free on Friday.” 

He shrugged. “If it’s nothing important just re-schedule.” 

“Sorry, can’t do. In fact, I had to re-schedule two appointments to fit this one into my timetable.” 

“Come on, Laura.” He let out a frustrated breath. “You know how boring those charities are.” 

“Of course, I do, but they serve a purpose, an important one, you know. The money collected there is important to the people receiving it. Anyway, I’m sorry, but I really can’t come with you.” 

“What kind of appointment is it anyway?” 

“Sorry, but that’s none of your business.” To spare herself any further discussion and let herself talk into cancelling her date, she opened the door, leaving the office. 

Marla smiled at her from her desk, and like always, Laura hoped that there weren’t any telltale signs that she’d just been frakked. Some part of her believed that people were able to tell. But Marla showed no indication that anything was out of the ordinary, although Laura was almost sure that Marla knew of her affair with Richard. They had never talked about it, but in the end, Marla knew both of them well, way too well. 

“How was his mood? And how is it now?” Marla chuckled. 

“Mood was fine, still is fine, although the latest high school reports nearly sent him into a stupor. I don’t think he listened even half of the time. Well, he asked to keep them, and I’m sure it’s to read them later on. But to think positive, he agreed to all of my suggestions so it went well for me.” 

It was truly sad how easy lying came to Laura these days, but Marla seemed to buy it, laughing out in merriment. “You’re an evil woman, Laura Roslin.” 

“Don’t I know it?” Smiling at Marla, she waved her goodbye, making her way to the staircase. Whatever things were or weren’t, there wasn’t any time for contemplation now with three meetings still ahead.


	3. Chapter 3

It was nearly seven p.m. when Laura slipped into her heels. Walking over to the large mirror in her bedroom, she gave herself a last all-over. The black dress she had chosen, accentuated her curves in all the right places, but it was neither showing too much cleavage nor too much leg. It was simple but nice. After all, she didn’t have any idea what kind of place Adama would take her to. Her hair was falling in waves over her shoulders. Thanks to her visit at the hairdresser, it was just a tad bit shorter but not all that unruly anymore. Along with some light make-up and a pair of earrings, she thought, she looked rather decent. 

Now, all that was left was too wait, and Laura found it strange to realise that she was indeed nervous. It hadn’t only been quite some time since her last date, but this time, she just had no idea what to expect at all. Usually, she was rather good when it came to reading people, but Adama was an unknown constant to her. It wasn’t the fact alone that they had only met briefly, but his quite demeanour hadn’t given away much, if anything at all. Really, she was still surprised that he had bothered to find out about her and to invite her for dinner. 

Her doorbell rang. With a surprised glance at the clock, she realised that it was one minute to seven. Well, obviously, he was a punctual man, this Mr. Adama. With an inward smile, she vowed to herself to find out more about him tonight, no matter the costs. Sure, she could have had one of her aides compile some facts about him for her, but she’d rather discover the man for herself. Furthermore, who knew how this date would go anyway? She might wish herself light-years away within a few minutes. Ah, the thrill of dating. 

Pressing the buzzer, she opened the door for Adama before heading over to her living room where she had left her purse. When she came back into her hallway, the elevator’s doors where just opening, and Adama stepped out. 

He wore a pair of dark jeans, a dark blue shirt and a simple but stylish black jacket, making her congratulate her to her own choice of clothing. Nothing worse than being severely under- or overdressed. A small smile, one that she recognised from the first time they met, played around his lips. 

“Good evening, Ms. Roslin.” 

“Laura.” 

“Well, good evening, Laura,” he conceded. “But please, call me Bill then.” 

She nodded, watching him slowly approaching her, offering her his hand. When she took it, she noticed how the dark blue of his shirt actually accentuated his eyes, and she had to keep herself from staring. She willed herself to look away, turning around to close her door. 

“You look amazing.” 

The quiet sincerity in his voice made her blush instantly, something that hadn’t happen to her in years. She took a moment longer than necessary to lock the door before turning back to him. 

“Thank you. You don’t look halfway bad yourself,” she teased, which earned her another smile. 

“Thanks.” 

“Well, I can’t wait to see where you’ll take me. I’m positively starving.” 

“Just wait and see. I have a feeling you might like the place.” 

 

*** 

 

It was a twenty minute drive to the restaurant. They spent it talking about Caprica City, the restaurants they both favoured, and Laura did her best to downplay her own experiences, having dined in the most expensive, in vogue restaurants over the years. Who knew if he’d ever visited one of those? In the end, it had been Richard or job obligations anyway that had taken her to those places, not her own inclination. 

Comparing tastes with Bill, Laura learned that they shared a mutual interest in traditional cuisine. As it turned out, he seemed to be a quite accomplished cook himself. Who would have thought? They were actually discussing recipes when they reached their destination. 

The place he led her to was located in one of the poorer parts of the city, making Laura briefly wonder what she had gotten herself into. Not that she minded the area itself, having lived in a similar looking part of the city in the past. Still, it seemed an odd place for a date. 

The restaurant was located right at the corner of the block with not even a sign hinting that there was a place to dine hidden inside this building. When Bill stopped in front of an entrance, Laura turned, eyebrow raised. 

“Yes, we are at the right place. Trust me.” 

She shrugged. “I do; I guess.” 

He opened the door for her, and she passed him, stepping into a dark hallway. He was right behind her, switching the light on, leading her down some stairs to a dark, wooden door, rapping three times. 

The door was opened almost instantly by a short, heavy man who smiled beatifically at the sight of Bill. 

“Bill. I’m so happy to see you.” The man had not only the looks but also the slight drawl of speech often associated with people from Libra. He pulled Bill into an embrace, clapping his back enthusiastically before releasing him and turning to Laura. 

His eyes lit up, and he looked at Bill again. “Who is this lovely lady, Bill? And where did you hide her until today?” 

Bill turned to Laura. “Laura, this is Marco Hammond. He grew up on Libra, moved to Caprica around twenty years ago and now owns the place where you’ll get the best Libran food in all of Caprica City. Marco, this Laura Roslin. She’s the Secretary of Education.” 

Marco looked surprised, albeit for just a short moment before he reigned in his feelings. “It’s a pleasure, Ms. Roslin.” 

“Laura.” He smiled broadly and took her hand into his own, brushing his lips lightly against the back of her hand. Releasing her hand, he took a step back, gesturing behind him. “If you’d follow me, please.” 

He guided them through a small room with only a couple of tables. They were all set, but there was no one actually in here. Puzzled, Laura turned to Bill. 

“It’s closed today,” he mumbled. 

“Closed?” Laura whispered back. 

“Well, it’s a special evening.” He shrugged, offering no more of an explanation. 

Marco led them out of the building and over a patio. In the middle of it stood a single table, set as well, but they passed it by, walking through a door on the other side, right into a spacious kitchen. Marco turned to them, grinning widely. 

“Are you ready?” 

“For what?” Laura asked cautiously. 

“Your cooking lesson in Libran cuisine.” 

“Cooking lesson?” 

“Didn’t Bill tell you?” Marco asked chuckling, shaking his head at Bill. 

Laura turned to Bill, who looked back at her unrepentantly. “No, he didn’t.” 

“Didn’t want to spoil the surprise. I thought you might enjoy trying your hands on cooking Libran cuisine. After all, you have the chance to learn from the best here.” 

Laura couldn’t help but smile. This date was different from any she had before. Having your date cooking her own dinner wasn’t an approach of wooing a woman she had ever heard of before. At least not for a first date. Not that she minded, though. She loved cooking, although she seldom had the time to actually do it. There just wasn’t much sense or fun in cooking for one person. 

“What made you think I enjoy cooking?” 

“Your books.” 

“My books?” 

“When you were changing into something dry, I had the chance to look at your books. I have a weakness for books myself. I noticed you had quite an assembly of cooking books, and they looked rather used.” 

Laura could only shake her head in disbelieve. There didn’t seem to be much that escaped Bill Adama’s attention. 

She hadn’t seen Marco moving around in the kitchen, but now he stood in front of them, holding aprons up to them. “We don’t want you to spoil your clothes, right?” 

Taking one, Laura put it on before she followed Marco to a kitchen table where vegetables and meat lay waiting for them. 

“If you’re ready, let’s start. I thought we try our hands on Adrian salad, traditional Libran stew and apple cake.” 

 

*** 

 

Laura took a first bite of her stew, closing her eyes when the spicy flavour hit her tongue. She sighed. “This tastes amazing.” 

Opening her eyes, she found Bill watching her, sporting a small smile. “And we did it all ourselves.” 

“Yes, we did.” 

She took another bite, chewing carefully, enjoying the taste to the fullest before swallowing. “This was a wonderful idea, Bill.” 

She looked around the patio where numerous lanterns and candles were throwing soft shadows along the walls. There were two candles on their table, just enough so that they could see each other. 

He nodded. “I’m glad you like it.” 

“I love it.” 

“Even better.” 

She looked at him, gauging his mood. “So, I wonder if I might ask you something.” 

“This sounds dubiously, but go ahead.” 

“Well, I was just wondering how you got your hands on my number.” 

He grinned openly at that, and Laura felt the corner of her mouth tugging upwards in response. 

“Wasn’t all that hard.” 

“Care to enlighten me?” 

“All women are notoriously curious, aren’t they?” 

“I don’t know about other women, but I like to have all information available.” 

He lifted his hands in mock defeat. “Well, if you really have to know, I looked into the phone book, but you weren’t listed. Then I asked a friend of mine if he might be able to help me tracing down one Laura Roslin. And he did; after he got over his laughing fit, that was.” 

“Laughing fit?” 

“Quite a hard one. Once he was able to breathe again, he asked me if it was what I really wanted, and if I had any idea who you are. I hadn’t.” 

Laura couldn’t help the dismay showing on her face. “It would be really nice if people understood that politicians are simple human beings as well.” 

Bill chuckled. “I called, didn’t I?” 

“Yes, you did.” 

“Madame Secretary,” he added teasingly. 

“Laura will do quite fine, Mr. Adama.” She rolled his eyes at him. “So it seems you know a lot about me. Who are you, though? What do you do when you’re not being an expert chef in the kitchen?” 

He took his time to answer, picking up a piece of stew with his fork, eating it, all the while holding her gaze. 

“I’m with the military. Colonial Fleet.” 

To say she wasn’t surprised would have been a lie. She had sensed a certain… formality about him, one that would certainly come with serving the military. Yet he wasn’t at all like the stiffly pricks she had to deal with on a regular basis. Still… the military? 

“I see,” she finally offered, softening the remark with a smile. 

Fortunately, he looked amused, delivering his next line without batting an eyelid. “You know, it would be nice if people understood that military officers are simple human beings as well.” 

She broke into instant laughter, and he joined her. 

“Touché. So you’re serving on a ship, or have your own?” 

“I’m Commander of the Valkyrie, a battlestar.” 

“I’m impressed. Right now, you’re on leave?” 

“For another week, yes.” 

Laura nodded, dipping a piece of bread into the sauce. So she was on a date that she actually enjoyed with a man serving the military, an organisation she wasn’t all too fond of, a man who wore a wedding band. She hadn’t noticed the day he’d dragged her out of the water but early this evening when he had held the door of her apartment building open for her. She hadn’t thought too much of it then, being used of dealing with married men, but it started to irk her now. She began to like Bill Adama, and the last thing she wanted was to become entangled with another married man. 

She was thinking about asking him directly, but he seemed to have caught her gaze. 

“I’m divorced.” 

Her eyes snapped up to his. “Ah. I see.” 

He shook his head. “No, you don’t, and why should you? I haven’t met anyone who understood why I still wear it after all those years.” 

“All those years?” 

“I’m divorced for about six years by now.” 

“Well…” 

“And now you wonder even more why I haven’t thrown the ring out of the window ages ago?” 

“I’d lie if I said I didn’t, but really, that’s none of my business.” 

“Well, then…,” he smiled again but didn’t offer any more of an explanation. 

They finished their stew in companionable silence. When Marco served them their hot apple cake, Laura remembered a question of earlier. 

“So when this restaurant is closed today, how does it come that we’re dining here?” 

“Marco’s an old friend of mine. Before he opened this place, he was with the military as well. We fought together in the Cylon war. Afterwards, he dropped out of service, moved to Caprica and opened this place.” 

“It’s quite secluded, if I may say so. Nothing on the outside even indicates that there’s a restaurant in here. You know, this tastes excellent. In a different part of the city with a little bit of advertisement, this place would be a hit.” 

Bill shook his head. “Marco wouldn’t want this. Enough people know about this place to keep it up and running. He’s not a rich man, but he has his outcome and is happy with his life. How many people can actually say that about their life?” 

“Not many, that’s for sure.” 

He just looked at her, contemplating her, making her shift on her seat when he kept on looking. 

“What?” 

“You aren’t happy with what you’re doing.” It was a statement, not a question. 

“With being a politician? Truth to be told I never really liked politics.” She shrugged. “What about you, does commanding a battlestar give you satisfaction?” 

“All in all, I like my job.” 

“I see.” 

All in all; so he had his own demons to battle. Not that it surprised her. Life was seldom fair, and one didn’t reach their age without having seen some of its downsides. She briefly wondered how his demons might look like, but this was neither the time nor the place to talk about it; if ever. Instead of letting her wayward thoughts dragging her down, Laura concentrated on her dessert, taking another bite of her cake. Closing her eyes, she savoured the rich taste of apples, sweet dough and just a trace of cinnamon. Together with the whipped cream, it stimulated nearly all of her taste buds. Apple cake had always been one of her favourite desserts. 

When she opened her eyes, Bill was watching her with amused attention. 

“I love apple cake.” 

“So I noticed.” 

“Don’t forget about your own,” Laura said, nodding at his half eaten cake. “I might not be able to refrain from devouring yours as well.” 

He grinned. “I have it in good faith that there is more where this came from.” 

They shared a smile. 

After they had finished dinner, they took their plates, making their way towards the kitchen. Marco was sitting at the kitchen table, having his own piece of pie in front of him, reading a book. At the sight of them, he took the time to place a marker into the book before getting up. 

“You didn’t have to do this,” he said, reaching for the plates Laura was carrying. 

“Maybe not. But we wanted to.” 

It was nearly an hour later when they left the restaurant, having spent the rest of the time doing the dishes, talking. Marco had tried to talk Laura out of it, as had Bill, but she wanted to hear none of it. Not that she would have been able to convey to them how much she enjoyed this evening anyway. For once, she was among people who didn’t care for her office, didn’t care for the Secretary of Education but Laura Roslin, the woman. Being with friends, even when doing the dishes, was a simple pleasure she hadn’t had in ever so long. 

When they left, Marco hugged her tightly, whispering in her ear to take good care of Bill and to be back soon. With a smile, she leaned even closer whispering back that she would see about both. Things might look completely different tomorrow, but this night, she liked to entertain the notion that this wasn’t the end of her acquaintance with Bill Adama. 

 

*** 

 

Bill saw her all the way to her front door where she rummaged in her purse for her key. Finally getting a hold of it, she turned around, intent on asking Bill in for a coffee. 

She smiled at him, about to open her mouth when he spoke first. 

“Thank you for this evening, Laura. I enjoyed it very much.” 

“As did I. Do…” 

“Here’s my number,” he interrupted her, handing her a piece of paper with his name and telephone number. “Call me anytime you like.” 

He walked up to her, cupping her chin with his right hand before leaning in, brushing his lips against hers. It was an almost chaste kiss, just a soft, fleeting touch of lips. Still it made Laura’s stomach flutter. Before she had time to get over her initial surprise though, he let got of her, taking a step back. 

“Good night, Laura.” 

“Night, Bill.” Her voice was tinted with her confusion, yet he didn’t turn round to her again. Only when he stepped into the elevator, he looked at her one last time, a soft smile on his face. Then the doors shut. 

This was not what she had expected. 

She had expected to invite him in for more talking, maybe for… She had the distinct feeling that her interest was mutual, that he had enjoyed the evening as much as she had. Furthermore, he had kissed her. 

Bill must have known what she had been about to ask, she was sure about it. Still, he had left. Laura was confused, looking at the piece of paper in her hand again. He must have pre-planned this move. 

She opened the door to her apartment, entering quickly, slamming the door shut before collapsing with her back against it. Only then she let out a short laugh. Bill Adama was an unusual man for sure. So the ball was in her court now, he had made sure of that. 

She grinned. The question wasn’t if she would get into contact with him again but what she would do with him once she had.


	4. Chapter 4

The telephone just kept on ringing, no matter for how long Laura stared at it, willing it to finally quiet down. With a sigh, she put down her book. She’d been reading in her bedroom so she just had to stretch to pick it up. “Yes?” 

“Hey, darling. What’s up?” 

“Richard. How nice to hear from you.” She rolled her eyes, sinking back onto the bed. “What’s the matter?” 

“Nothing, really. I was just thinking of you and thought I call you.” 

This probably meant his wife was out of town, which always had him bored and horny. Laura suppressed a sigh. It wasn’t really his fault that things had changed. She had known the rules of their game from the beginning, had known it would never be more than some fraks when time allowed, mingled with respect for each other and some affection. What had been enough for more years than she liked to count, wasn’t anymore. It hadn’t been for months. In fact, each passing day made her wish even stronger for an out. However, this wasn’t something easily achieved. You couldn’t just quit frakking your boss, not when he didn’t want to end things himself, especially when your boss was the president of the twelve colonies. At least not without having to contemplate repercussions. Not that the sex was all bad… 

“Baby?” 

“Sorry, Richard. I was just… distracted for a moment.” 

Gods, she hated when he called her that, but she had told him to stop it countless times already. Not that he had cared. 

“I figured. What are you doing?” 

“Just spending a lazy Sunday afternoon.” 

“Lucky you. I’m still reading through the papers for tomorrow’s conference.” 

“Well, that’s the advantage of being a lowly secretary and not the president.” 

He laughed out. “You’d make a good one.” 

“President? No, thank you very much.” If there was one job in this world she wouldn’t want to do, it was president. Richard had even longer working hours than she had, the press was hot on his heels all the time, not to forget that he had to shoulder a responsibility that would absolutely terrify her. 

“Anyway, I’ve been thinking. Why don’t you come to join me for a while tomorrow? The conference is in the Athena conference building. I’ll really need the latest figures concerning elementary schools in Caprica City. And there’ll still be lunch break. I’m sure we could make some time to go over the figures then.” 

Going over figurers, sure. As if she was only waiting for him to offer her a few minutes of his time. 

“As nice as it sounds, I’ve got a full schedule tomorrow. But I’ll send Marla to bring over the figures.” 

“Come on, Laura. Just combine it with your lunch break.” 

“No, Richard. I can’t do that. I’ve got an appointment with Lexter at twelve and another with Brown at one. Never mind that I’d like to be prepared when meeting them.” 

“I’ll be on Tauron for most of the week. This might be the last chance for some… fun.” 

Yeah, sure, she would die if she didn’t have sex with Richard for a few days. “I know, but that’s life.” 

He was silent for some long moments. “Is something wrong?” 

“Wrong? No. What makes you think that?” 

“I don’t know. You seem… different somehow. Colder.” 

There were a lot of things one could say about Richard but dumb wasn’t one of him. Nevertheless, she’d rather slowly break the news that she wasn’t interested in him any longer, or even better have him breaking up with her and feeling guilty about it. 

“It’s nothing. I’m just tired, that is all. It has been a long week.” 

“If you say so.” He didn’t sound convinced but didn’t insist either. “Well, see you in the office then.” 

“But of course. Bye, Richard.” 

“Bye, Laura.” 

She hung up before he could think about it, putting the phone back on its station before snuggling deeply into the covers. Somehow she should feel sad. There she had spent so many years in a secret affair with a married man, and now that it was about to end, she didn’t feel sadness or remorse. She didn’t want to change anything, she didn’t regret anything but this life – it didn’t fit her anymore. Now, she wanted something different, needed something different, maybe even someone different… Her thoughts went back to Bill Adama, causing her to roll her eyes. It couldn’t be healthy to think that much about a man after one single date, but here she was doing just that. There was something about Bill Adama… 

It reminded her that she still had to call him, but she would wait another day or two. After all, he shouldn’t think she was overly eager. Maybe she was; he certainly didn’t need to know that, though. Her plan was all set anyway. Now she only had to get him where she wanted him. Laura grinned. 

 

*** 

 

She arrived at the train station pretty early. Sitting down on the next free bench, she lazily scanned her surroundings, soaking in the warmth of the sun. Most of the people around at this time of the day were families on their way to some weekend fun, with some odd business man and woman thrown in the mix. Their sight made Laura shake her head. Sundays weren’t for working. When there was one thing she had always made a point of in her life, it was to keep her Sunday’s free. Sundays were for rest, Sundays belonged just to her. In all the years of her affair with Richard, she’d never met him on Sundays. That day was a part of her life that she wasn’t willing to share just like that. With the exception of meeting people she actually wanted to meet, she thought with a smile. 

As if having read her thoughts, Bill Adama came walking towards her. It seemed he had listened closely to her as he had dressed in just a pair of old jeans and a surely old but apparently cosy sweater. 

Not that she looked any more stylish in her own pair of jeans and an old blouse. But looking stylish was not part of the plan for today. 

She got up to greet him. He smiled at her, and she had to smile back. He pulled her into a gentle embrace, and she felt herself melting against him. Yeah, she so had no interest in him whatsoever. Pulling back slightly, she placed a soft kiss onto his cheek before she stepped back. Gods, he smelled good. There was this faint trace of some spicy cologne but the rest… it had to be him. And the way his freshly shaved, yet slight rough skin grazed her lips… it made them tingle, it made her want to lean into him again to place kisses all over his face. Damn those overactive hormones of hers. 

Nothing of that showed on her face, though. If she had learned one thing during her time in politics, it was how to keep up a composed façade. 

“Ready for some fun, Commander?” 

His eyebrows rose nearly up to his hairline. “I’d say yes, but as I don’t have the faintest clue about where we’re going…” 

“Well,” she shrugged. “I can only tell you that you’ll either love what I’ve planned or hate it. No middle ground there.” 

“And that should comfort me how?” 

She laughed out. “Comfort is overrated. And being with the military, you should be used to all kinds of excitement. I’d be severely shocked if I managed to rattle your chains.” 

“Give it your best shot.” He grinned. 

“I will. Count on that. Let’s go.” 

They took the next train out of the city. It was fairly full, but they managed to find a compartment for themselves in the last wagon. All in all, it was a forty-minute ride that took them through the outskirts of Caprica City into a more rural part of Caprica. 

“Come to think of it, it’s been years since I’ve been out here for the last time,” Bill remarked. 

“Tell me about it. For me, it’s close to two years as well. I always swear to make the time, but in the end, I’m way too tired and find myself lounging around at home, or wandering around the city.” 

“I used to go hiking with the kids when they were still young.” 

“Sounds like fun.” So he had children. She wondered how old they might be and how many there were. “What are they doing? Your children, I mean.” 

“Lee is a viper pilot, and Zak is about to finish university, although he is talking about joining the military as well.” 

He was proud of his sons, the evidence was all there in his voice and the way he raised his chin just a tad bit higher. A tiny part of her wondered if his sons wanted to join the military because it was their own wish or because they thought it was a family obligation, but it wasn’t her place to ask. 

“So it’s a family business,” she teased instead. 

“One could think that. Although my father wasn’t even remotely fond of the military. He was a lawyer, and I‘ve never seen him as angry as the day I told him I wanted to become a pilot.” He smiled wryly, and out of an impulse, she covered his hand with hers, squeezing it lightly. 

“In the end, after the cylon war… he must have been very proud of you, wasn’t he?” 

“Well, at least he talked to me again.” 

 

*** 

 

When they left the train, it was nearly as if they had entered a different world. Although near to Caprica City, nothing here reminded of the largest city in all of the colonies. Just a few scattered houses surrounded the train station and even fewer people had found their way out here. There were flowering fields to their left and woods in the distance to their right. Life out here passed in a slower rhythm, calming Laura the moment she sat her feet out of the train. 

Bill, who had followed her, took a long look at their environment before turning to Laura. 

“So far I like your plan.” 

Laura laughed. “You’ve seen nothing yet. If you think we’re here for a simple hike, you’re mistaken. Come on, we’re expected.” 

“Yes, Ma’am.” He mock saluted Laura. 

“Don’t you expect me to salute back,” she said smiling. She led them along what passed as the main street, only stopping at one of the last buildings. 

“Here we are.” 

She watched Bill closely while he took in his surroundings, but his stoic face gave nothing away. 

“Public stables?” 

“Yes. I thought we go horseback riding.” 

“Horseback riding?” Even his voice was flat. 

Laura started to wonder if her plan had been a bad idea. He really didn’t look happy, that was for certain. Well, even if it was, she refused to let it make herself feel nervous. If he didn’t like her idea, it would just show whether he was a good sport or not. 

“Yes. It’s been ages since I’ve been out riding, but I always loved it.” 

He remained silent, his gaze wandering from the stables to her. She held his gaze, and after what seemed an eternity, his face broke into a wide grin. 

“Me too. We’ve been constantly riding when I was a kid.” 

She slapped his arm. “You think it’s funny to let me think I dragged you somewhere you don’t like to be, don’t you?” 

“Well, yes.” 

Laura shook her head. “I’ll get you for that.” 

He was still grinning. “I hope so.” 

“Bill Adama… one day when you have all forgotten about this… Anyway, let’s go.” She entered the building, closely followed by Bill. After some formalities, they were led into the stable where they picked their horses, saddling them under the careful eyes of the stable’s owner. 

They rode for almost an hour. Although both hadn’t ridden for quite some time, they soon found into the rhythm, galloping side by side along the fields until they reached the woods they had seen from the train station. Laura didn’t know when she had felt this free, this uninhibited for the last time. A few times she closed her eyes for a moment, just enjoying the feeling of the wind in her hair and the strong muscles moving underneath her. But in the end, she steered them to a small clearing where a blanket was already spread on the ground. A picnic basket was standing right beside it. 

“I start to think you have planned out everything about this day.” 

Laura dismounted her horse, leading it towards the watering place that had been built there. 

“I like to be prepared.” 

Bill followed her example, and the two horses drank thirstily. 

“I’m impressed, Madame Secretary.” 

“As you should be.” Moving over to the blanket, she sat down, waiting for him to join her. 

“May I ask how you got the picnic basket here, or is this a secret?” 

“State secret.” She winked at him. 

“Well ,then…” 

She grabbed the basket, handing Bill a bottle of Ambrosia as well as two glasses. “You can pour the drinks while I prepare the food.” 

He nodded, setting about the task while she put food on two plates. There were finger sandwiches, a selection of cake and fruit for each. 

Bill handed her a glass, taking a plate in turn. He reached for a sandwich tasting it, his eyes widening ever so slightly. “This tastes excellent. Where did you get them?” 

“Where I got them? I’m insulted. Let me assure you that all of what you find on your plate was either made myself or chosen myself.” 

“Again, I’m impressed.” 

They shared a smile, slowly making their way through the food until only the fruits were left. 

“I’m sorry, but we don’t have whipped cream,” Laura mentioned when Bill reached for one of the strawberries. 

When he looked at her, there was a twinkle in his eyes that had a shiver run down her back. “I think we can manage without.” She watched mesmerized as he dipped one of the strawberries into his remaining Ambrosia. Scooting closer, he held it out to her, and like a puppet on a string, without conscious thought, she closed the remaining distance, opening her mouth, closing her lips around the small fruit. His fingers retreated, but not before her mouth had closed around a fingertip, her teeth lightly nipping the sensitive skin. 

His eyes became wide, his breath exhaled on a shudder. Grinning at him, she released his finger, sitting back on the blanket. 

“They’re delicious.” 

“I have no idea. Haven’t tried one yet.” 

“Poor Bill.” Laughing, she picked up one of her strawberries and , repeating his earlier actions, dipped it into Ambrosia before she offered it to him. Like she had just done, he took the fruit from her, sucking her fingertip into his mouth before she could withdraw her finger. She bit her bottom lip to suppress a moan. He took his own sweet time, suckling and licking her digit. Holding her gaze the whole time, his desire was as transparent to her as hers must be to him. Finally, he released her finger, both of them leaning back, silently contemplating each other. 

“Laura,…” 

Whatever it was he had wanted to say, whatever it was she wanted to do this moment, it just wasn’t the time. She still hadn’t forgotten about their first date. Payback was a bitch, as was Laura Roslin if she wanted to be. 

So she smiled sweetly at him. “So what do you think? Are they any good?” 

He shook his head, obviously torn between amusement and frustration. “They’re nice.” 

“Thought you would think that. I love them when they’re all ripe and sweet.” She took another one off her plate, sucking it slowly into her mouth. Again, he wanted to speak, but she just shook her head. 

“Tell me more about life on a battlestar. Are quarters really as cramped as they say? Rumour has it they don’t even have proper beds.” 

He let out a quiet sigh, but finally, with a gaze that said that he was just humouring her, started to speak. “You know that we don’t call them beds but ‘racks’.” 

 

*** 

 

It was nearly dark when they arrived at Caprica City’s central station. After they picnic, they had ridden for another two hours before returning the horses. 

Laura stopped in front of the main entrance, turning to Bill. 

“I hope you enjoyed today.” 

He closed the minute distance between them until they were less than a foot apart. “I did. Thank you.” His mouth curved into another of his devastating smiles. “I could see you home if you want to.” 

It was an offer. An unmistakable offer. An offer for more than just bringing her to her doorstep this time. A part of her screamed to say yes, but again ‘this’ wasn’t what she had planned either. So she smiled, locking her gaze with his before leaning into him, gently brushing her lips to his. Her body instantly shivered at the soft contact, making her want to sink into him. 

In response to the kiss, his arms came up to circle her waist and he tried to deepen the kiss, his tongue skimming along her lips, asking for entrance. She just pulled out of his embrace though, reaching up to run a finger along his soft lips. 

“Next time. And believe me, I can do this better.” She smiled mischievously. “Way better.” Retrieving a paper strip out of her jeans pocket, she held it up to him. “That’s my private number. If you want to… just call me. Any time you want.” Kissing him lightly on the cheek, she turned to leave although every nerve cell in her body screamed to stay.


	5. Chapter 5

Five minutes. Five frakking minutes was all she had left until her meeting with Richard. She should have known better than to schedule a meeting with the defence department that morning. 

Laura’s aide wasn’t at her desk, so she left her a quick note to copy some files for her later that day before entering her office. Her nose buried in a report it took her a moment to realise that she wasn’t alone. 

Richard was sitting in her chair, his arms resting on her desk, the fingers of his right hand drumming a nervous rhythm onto her desk. What was he doing in here, with such a sour look on his face nonetheless? 

“Richard, I thought we’d be meeting in your office. Never mind that I would have been late anyway. What brought you all the way down here?” 

He contemplated her silently, his fingers never ceasing their tapping motion against the surface of her desk. It irritated her beyond reason. 

“Richard?” 

He smiled, but she new him good enough to know that it wasn’t a real one. “I finished my prior meeting early and thought I could come down this time, returning some files myself. I sent your aide into an early break, I hope you don’t mind.” 

She walked over to her desk but remained standing on the other side of it. “Of course not.” 

He looked at her again before his hand finally came to a rest, picking up something on her table. A gold rimmed card as Laura could see. She didn’t know what it was, but it hadn’t been there when she had left her office earlier. 

“Tell me, Laura, are you seeing someone?” 

So that was how the land lay. Never mind that it was he who was married. 

“Not that this is any of your business, but yes, Richard, I’m seeing someone. Why? I can't remember having made any vows of monogamy to you.” She smiled sweetly at him, feigning innocence. 

“Who is he? Bill?” He held up the card to her. 

She snapped it out of his hands, glaring at him. Richard didn’t even have the decency to look guilty, which annoyed her even more. Putting on her glasses, she read the card. 

Dear Laura,   
Knowing your penchant for water, I thought you might enjoy going   
to the Fountain Festival in Delphi with me. It’s this Saturday.   
In case you’re interested, just call me.   
Yours,   
Bill 

Laura couldn’t suppress a smile. She had wondered when Bill would get in contact with her. Not that she had doubted that he would; she hadn’t, but when there hadn’t been a single word from him within the last four days, she had found herself a little restless. The way their last date had ended had left her wanting for more. By now, she couldn’t count the times anymore that she had cursed herself for toying with him. By denying him, she had also denied herself, a fact that had manifested itself in her even more when she turned around in bed at nights, unable to find any sleep. Next time, she wouldn’t let it get that far, or better said next time, she wouldn’t let go of him. She wanted it. Wanted him. Wanted him badly, if she decided to be honest with herself. 

“So don’t you want to tell me who he is?” 

She focussed back on Richard. For a moment, she had all but forgotten about him. 

“No, I don’t. It’s truly none of your business.” 

Anger flared up briefly in his eyes. “I’m not so sure about that, Laura, especially as it seems to interfere with us.” 

“Us, Richard? There’s you, and there’s me. You’re married. I’m a single woman. Free agent. No matter what we did or did not do in the past doesn’t give you any right to control my private life.” 

Richard got up from her chair, straightening his tie before raising his hands, palms up. “No need to get cranky. I was just wondering, that is all. But whatever this is with Mr. Bill, it doesn’t have to affect us.” 

Laura shook her head, silently counting to ten. This wasn’t just Richard, this was still her boss. Lucky for him as her patience was quickly running out. 

“It’s not Mr. Bill, and I would really appreciate if we could end this discussion here and now.” 

Richard rounded the desk, coming to stand in front of her, grabbing her by the waist to reel her in for a kiss. She averted her face so that his lips only came to rest on her cheek. She pushed him away with all the force she could muster. 

“Don’t, Richard. Just don’t. I don’t want this here to end dirty.” She took a deep breath. “Before we started our affair, we were friends if you can still remember. There was friendship, and there was respect. We don’t have to lose this. But now…,” her voice trailed off and picking up the invitation card, she walked over to her window, looking out onto the crowded streets. She sighed. “Look, this with Bill is all fresh, and I want to give it a chance. I want this, Richard, and I think I deserve it. I deserve not to be the ‘other woman’.” 

He came to stand beside her, touching her shoulder. It was just a light touch, but it felt too possessive. She didn’t want it, didn’t want him to touch her. She shrugged the hand off. 

“You’ve never been the ‘other woman’ to me,” he said, sounding offended. 

“Sure.” Laura let out a snort. She walked back to her desk where she sat down. “I don’t even want to know what I’ve been in your opinion.” She bit her tongue to stop more words from forthcoming. “Anyway, let’s start the meeting or we’ll be running late. I was talking to Marla earlier, and she mentioned your schedule looks pretty tight today and that I could be happy that I even fit into it.” 

“Laura…” She turned her chair to face him. 

“Work, Richard. Just let’s get to work. Did I understand Marla correctly that the defence department wants to sponsor a chair at Delphi university? I can’t say that I can really second this notion. Especially the physic’s chair. Of course, they say it’s just a simple sponsorship, but you and I know that they want to get their hands on the research results. Yes, the university needs the money. Desperately as I might add, and yes, we don’t have the budget this year to give any funds to the university ourselves, but that doesn’t mean that the defence department should be allowed to hand them any money.” 

Richard was watching her the whole time she was talking, opening his mouth a few times to interject, but she didn’t let him. She knew what he wanted. He wanted her to give in, to give in into him, to get rid of the competition, but fact was she wasn’t his. 

Had she ever really been? 

“Richard?” 

There was something in his eyes that told her she hadn’t heard the last of this discussion, but finally, he relented, slipping into business mode as she had hoped he eventually would. 

“Don’t you think your suspicions are a little bit over the board?” 

“No, I don’t think so. And if they are, there shouldn’t be any problems with relocating those funds to the law chair. According to the last demagogical data, the numbers of law students increased by eight per cent this year, but at the same time, their funds were reduced by eleven per cent. The numbers just don’t match up.” 

“That’s true, but…” 

Laura inwardly smiled. She knew she had him now. She also knew he would resist her suggestions before finally agreeing to them. While letting him ramble, she decided to call Bill as soon as possible. The only question left right now was what she should wear for their date on Saturday? 

 

*** 

 

This time, Bill wasn’t punctual; he was early. Ten minutes before the time they had agreed on, her doorbell rang. Hitting the buzzer, she opened her door, hurrying into her bedroom to put on her dress. Frak, if she had been able to actually decide on what to wear earlier, she could have been ready ages ago. 

She had just eased into the short, crimson dress lying on her bed when she heard the door to her apartment shut close. 

“Laura?” 

Oh gods, his voice. A shiver ran down her spine, and she chided herself for reacting so prematurely to something as simple as her name spoken in this gravely voice. How could she even hope to survive this evening with any dignity when his mere presence threatened to turn her into a puddle of mush? 

“Just one moment, Bill.” Taking a deep and hopefully calming breath, she left her bedroom to greet him. 

 

*** 

 

Knowing he was early and not wanting to intrude, Bill hadn’t entered her apartment further than a few steps from the entrance, where he stood, waiting patiently, trying not to stare too intensely in the direction her voice had come from. However, once he caught a movement from the corner of his eyes, he couldn’t help but stare. If he had thought she had looked amazing on their first date, she was even more drop-dead beautiful now. The red was vibrant just like she, and the cut showed more skin, revealing sheer endless legs and nice amount of cleavage. The latter brought back the guilty memory of their first encounter. Being a gentleman, he would deny it till his dying breath but he couldn’t help but risk a look back then. Now though, the fabric of the dress might conceal more than he had caught a glimpse of then but what he could see wasn’t less inviting and even more important shown by choice. The dress screamed passion and lust, and she better was willing to go through with it, because he wasn’t sure how much more teasing he could take. Yes, it was only their third date; and yes, he had started it all because he was a gentleman who didn’t frak on the first date, but it had been a long time since a woman had enchanted him like this. No matter what logical argument his mind came up with, his heart and body couldn’t stop desiring her, wanting her. His nights ever since he had first met her hadn’t been the same. He had considered himself way past age of love at first sight and wet dreams, and she had proven him wrong. Not that he really minded, although it was strange feeling like a teenager again and even more frustrating. 

Slowly, she sauntered to him, swaying her hips for maximum effect. Once only a foot separated them, she slid her hands up his chest around his neck, intending to greet him with a chaste kiss. Her plan was ruined though the moment he wound his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. The touch of their lips that shouldn’t have lasted more than a few split seconds persisted. Very fast, chaste was the last adjective one would use to describe the kiss. Lips parted willingly under questioning tongues, were nibbled at, sucked at; mouths were ascertained; tongues engaged in a playful dance, teasing each other, playing tag. 

It didn’t take long for their hands to catch on the pace of their mouths. His jacket was the first victim. No sooner as it hit the floor, its owner’s hands opened the fastener of her dress only to discover a bare chest. With him stunned for a moment, she used the time to even out the odds and undid the last buttons of his shirt. Her teeth carefully biting one of his nipples sprung him back into action; growling his approval, he cupped her breasts, teasing her nipples with his thumbs. His hands in her hair tugged her head back, leaving her lips and neck for his lips to feast on at their free will. Starting with a fierce kiss to her lips, he then trailed downward along her jaw and neck, sucking at her skin above the collarbone before moving even further down and suckling at those breasts as he had dreamed of. A surprising but not unwelcome addition to his dream was the reality of her sounds for she turned out to be rather vocal. Having hummed into their kiss earlier, she was now moaning under his ministrations. As his fingers that once again roamed freely over her back encountered the barrier which was her dress, they crept beneath it, giving it the last push it needed to glide down and pool around her feet, and while they were on it, her panties followed an instant later, leaving her bare in his arms. She didn’t seem to have any objections, though. She merely took a step forward and then another one, edging him backward until he collided with the door. In the meantime, she had managed to unbuckle his belt as well as undo the closing of his pants. It didn’t take more than a well-aimed shove and his trousers suffered the same fate as her dress. When she set to kill, pushing her hands into the front of his briefs, he stepped out of his pants and turned the tables: spinning them around so it was now her back against the door. Taking her hands in one of his, he pinned them above her head against the surface. Not letting this defeat her in any way, she arched her body forward, bringing it in full contact with his. Her hips rubbing against his erection, her lips attacking his neck, one of her legs wrapped around his, he couldn’t wait any longer. Ridding himself of his briefs with one hand, he then reached between them, testing her readiness so he wouldn’t hurt her. But he needn’t have worried, she was as wet as he was hard. Capturing her lips once more, he let go of her hands, moulding her buttocks into his hands, hoisting her up and pushing her down on his hardness. She caught up instantly, wrapping her legs around his waist. Fast and hard, he pounded into her. Her moans, his groans and their provoking, demanding whispers, screams of joyful passion mingled in the air. Due to the anticipation, frustration even, they had both built up since they had started seeing each other, it didn’t take long for the desire to be fulfilled, leaving them both breathlessly entwined. Her legs and arms wound around him, his arm encircling her waist, they leaned against her door, still joined intimately, trying to catch their breaths. 

“Hello, sailor,” she aspirated against his neck, drawing a chuckle from his throat. 

They disentangled, slowly, carefully, still holding on to each other. Bill stroked her cheek gently, a warm smile blooming on his craggy face. Her heart beat faster under his gaze, unnamed emotions surging through her. He was about to say something when there was loud pounding against the wall besides her door. 

“For frak’s sake, will you shut up now?” 

They looked at each other, breaking into laughter. Laura was nearly doubling over from giggling, holding on to Bill for support. 

“I guess we better move,” Laura suggested when she was able to catch her breath, taking him by his hand, leading him to her bathroom. She took two washcloths out of a closet, and handed one to him before filling the basin with warm, soapy water. He was watching her every movement in the mirror, their gazes locking, and she found herself entranced by what she saw in his face. There was a softness in his eyes, a contentment that told her more than a thousand words could have done that they had done the right thing, that it hadn’t just been a harebrained idea spurred on by the heat of the moment. Gods, she could get used to a man looking at her like that. Under Bill’s gaze she didn’t feel exposed but beautiful, even with her hair tousled and her make-up ruined. Bill made her feel special, something Richard hadn’t managed in years. She couldn’t really recount when Richard had really looked at her for the last time, when he had seen more in her than just a woman that was available for a quick frak. Why had she let him use her like that for all those years? The sticky trail making its way down her thighs brought her back to reality. 

“We made quite a mess, didn’t we?” She broke their gaze, dipping her washcloth into the water. Lifting it, her hand was intercepted by Bill who had moved behind her without so much as making a sound. It seemed her commander was quite adept in stealth operations. 

“Let me.” 

How could she refuse him, his deep yet soft voice, the tender look in his face? She wanted to speak out but found she couldn’t, contenting herself with a nod. 

Kneeling behind her, his hands applied light pressure to her knees until she spread her legs for him. His gaze never left hers when he let the warm, wet cloth run up and down first one thigh, then the other, gently cleaning her up. His touch was soft, leaving her skin tingling in its wake. Once he was done, his hand went up to her waist, urging her to turn around. Dipping the cloth into the water, he wrung it out before applying it at the apex of her thighs, touching her lightly, reverently. 

Her still sensitized sex pulsed under his ministrations, causing her to moan out. He grinned up at her, clearly amused. She was still formulating a clever response when her stomach growled loudly. His hand stilled, silent laughter dancing in his eyes. 

“Hungry?” 

She didn’t blush, but it was a close call. She shrugged. “I was too excited to bother with lunch earlier. I thought I might grab something at the festival.” 

Removing the washcloth, he got up, placing his hands on her waist. “Now that you mention it; if you still want to go, we should hurry a bit.” 

She contemplated him for a long moment. “As lovely as it sounds, I can actually think of some other things I’d rather like to do.” 

“Such as?” he asked, eyebrow raised. 

“Well, how about cooking some dinner and have a relaxing evening here?” 

He chuckled. “Just admit it; you don’t want to face your angry neighbour out there.” 

She groaned. “That too. Thanks for reminding me.” 

“You’re welcome, but dinner really sounds nice. You might not have been the only one who was a little bit excited.” 

She smiled, nodding. “Good. Let’s put on some clothes and see what we can find. You’re lucky that I was grocery shopping yesterday.” She placed a quick kiss onto his lips before deliberately removing his hands from her waist. “See you out there.” 

Walking over to the bundle of discarded clothing, she didn’t think long before picking up Bill’s shirt, holding it up to her nose when she was sure that he was still in the bathroom. It smelled like him, a hint of aftershave and a musky note that just belonged to him. She liked it, felt intoxicated by it, and without further thought, she put the shirt on herself. Never mind that if she wore it, he’d have to go bare-chested. Deciding to leave open quite a few buttons, she walked over to her living room, flopping down on her couch, waiting for Bill. It wasn’t much later when he walked through the door in search of her, only clad in his briefs. “So that’s where my shirt disappeared,” he remarked with wry amusement. 

“I thought you wouldn’t mind.” 

“I don’t. It looks better on you anyway.” He sat down beside her, his right hand coming to rest on her left thigh. His fingers started to trace a lazy pattern along her exposed skin. “Laura, I want you to know that I usually don’t do this.” 

“This?” she asked smirking. 

“It wasn’t my intention to be all over you as soon as I walked through the door.” 

“Ah, I see. Means you usually don’t frak women against their doors?” 

“Another way to put it, but yes.” 

“That’s a pity.” At the look he gave her, she leaned forward to press a soft kiss onto his mouth. “Don’t worry, Bill. I wanted this as much as you did. I was a willing participant.” 

He sighed, taking one of her hands in his. “I know, but I wanted to treat you like you deserve it. Like the lady you are.” 

The quiet sincerity in his voice made her breath hitch, and she had to swallow a lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. It must have been ages since someone had referred to her as a lady, since someone had wanted to worship her instead of getting into her pants as soon as possible. Richard, for sure, hadn’t bothered with niceties within the last years. 

Just then, his stomach let out a growl on its own. It made Laura giggle again. “Well, let’s move, sailor, or it’s off to bed without dinner.” She got up and made her way to the kitchen in the same walk she had used when she had come to greet him earlier. Only this time the effect was even more profound considering her clothes – or the lack thereof. He growled in response to her suggestive tone but sprung into action and hurried after her, pinching her behind playfully once she was in reach.


	6. Chapter 6

Laura had been in her office for less than five minutes, had in fact just hung up her coat and taken her seat when the telephone rang. She sighed annoyed. Her secretary knew that she didn’t like to be disturbed within the first twenty minutes in the mornings. Even with hectic jobs like theirs, it had to be possible to get settled first. That couldn’t really be too much to ask, could it? 

“What is it, Julie?” 

“It’s Ms. Brown for you, shall I put her through?” 

She smiled. So Marla wanted to know about her weekend. No wonder that she was curious. Laura had declined her invitation to family dinner on Saturday, stating she had plans already. Marla didn’t ask what kind of plans it was, but she wasn’t the kind of woman to just wait until Laura would come to her to dish either. Well, she would have to prepare herself for a disappointment, because Laura wasn’t ready to spill the beans just now. This with Bill and her was too new, too precious to share it with the world just yet. If things progressed as nicely as they had until now, she surely wouldn’t be able to keep this relationship a secret for long; however for the moment, it was just for her to know. To know and to enjoy. Never mind this was not the time to focus on the pleasure of being together with Bill Adama. 

“Yes, please. Thank you, Julie.” 

She waited for the connection to be made. 

“Laura, hon, what’s up?” 

Typically Marla. Even at seven a.m., she seemed to be in a good mood. Laura could count the times she had seen Marla in subdued spirits on both hands during the time of their decade long acquaintance. 

“Right now, not much. I’m looking forward to a cup of coffee and then we’ll see. And you? How are you?” 

“Fine, fine. So, how was your weekend? Did you enjoy yourself on Saturday.” 

Laura smirked. “Yes, I did.” 

“So what did you do?” 

“Oh, not that much actually.” 

There was a sigh of mock desperation on the other end of the line. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?” 

“Nope. Sorry, Marla.” 

“Well, I hope he’s worth it. Never mind, it’s not why I’m calling you at this lovely hour. The president wants to schedule a meeting with you at your earliest convenience. Seeing that his own schedule is pretty tight today, it would be fantastic if you could get up here as soon as possible.” 

Lovely. What could Richard possibly want from her this time? She hadn’t expected him to give up on her that quickly, but there was nothing in their recent dealings with each other that would explain why he needed to see her that early in the morning. Sure, their latest encounter couldn’t count as a success from his point of view, still. 

“Do you know what he wants?” Maybe it was all about work anyway. She rolled her eyes at herself. 

“Sorry, I have no idea. I know that he got the latest reports you sent up on Friday, but I don’t think he’s been through them yet. Maybe he needs the information as soon as possible now and wants a quick briefing.” 

“Maybe. Anyway, I can be up there in ten minutes if it fits with the president’s schedule.” 

“That’s fine. His first meeting is at eight p.m. See you soon then.” 

“Yes. Bye, Marla.” Laura hung up the phone, leaning back in her chair for just a few seconds, closing her eyes. There was something right about Monday’s being no one’s favourite day. She was tired, not only from lack of sleep, but tired of Richard and his stupid games. Power games. He wanted to be in control of everything he thought belonged to him, his office, his private life, his mistresses… 

However, Laura didn’t belong to him. Never had. She had let him frak her, had felt a good deal of affection for him; sometimes over the years, it had almost bordered on love, but she had always known where she stood with him, never had the illusion they could be more than simple frak buddies. She opened her eyes again. It wouldn’t do to lounge here any longer. She was better on her way, prepared to face the music, whatever it was this time. 

Marla was already waiting when she arrived, holding a steaming cup of coffee up to her. “Here, take that with you. You might need it. I might have failed to mention that our dear president is in quite a mood.” 

“Quite the mood? Care to elaborate?” 

“Well, he barely managed a ‘good morning’ today, just stormed into his office. Then he asked for files that were actually lying in the pile on his desk, and then there was his aide that came out of his office, barely twenty minutes ago, nearly as white as a sheet.” 

“Really? And you think it’s a good idea for me to go in there now? Thank you very much.” 

Marla patted Laura’s free hand. “He’s our boss. If he wants something, we can hardly resist, can we? Never mind that you are one of the few people who can actually tame him when he’s in one of his moods.” 

“Somehow I don’t think this will happen this time.” 

Marla’s eyes slightly widened. “Anything I should know about?” 

Laura was hard pressed not to laugh. This was hardly the place to inform her that her boss had a long-lasting affair with his secretary of education, no matter what Marla thought she knew or not. 

“No, everything’s fine, Marla. It’s only that I’m not in the best of moods either.” 

“If you say so. Well, then have fun butting heads with the president.” 

Thank you so very much.” With a last eye roll into Marla’s direction, Laura knocked and opened the door to Richard’s office. He was scribbling some notes onto a piece of paper, this time directly looking up at her when she entered. Laura closed the door behind her, walking towards Richard’s desk. 

“Good morning, Mr. President.” 

“Laura, please take a seat.” 

He was watching her every step, waiting until she had sat down, placing her mug onto his desk, before starting to speak. 

“How are you?” 

Small talk? He surely hadn’t ordered her up here for small talk. 

“I’m fine. Marla told me you had some urgent business to discuss with me?” 

Richard sighed. “Marla was exaggerating. I just thought you might need a sympathetic ear to listen, but I could hardly tell that to her, could I?” 

“Sympathetic ear? It’s a nice offer, really, but why would I need one?” 

He smiled, indulgently, driving her mad in the process. “I missed you on Saturday.” 

“Saturday? Why would you have missed me? I thought I told you I had plans.” 

“I’m talking about the fountain festival. Jennifer and I decided to go ourselves on short notice. It was really beautiful. You should have seen the coloured fountains. It was incredible. But I couldn’t spot you anywhere. So I’m really sorry that Bill ditched you.” 

Laura’s thoughts where whirling. Richard had been at the festival? Why? She would bet good money that it hadn’t been his wife’s idea to go. Jennifer Adar, despite being rich and raised as part of Caprica’s upper class, was a shy woman; not one to venture out and show herself. She was not very beautiful, not especially intelligent but possessing what Richard had been after when he had been looking for the perfect marriage: wealth and contacts. Without her, he might still have made his way, but thanks to her, things had run smoother. Nonetheless, it was hard to believe that Richard had gone to the festival just to spy on her, although everything seemed to indicate just that. 

“What makes you think Bill ditched me?” she asked, a broad smile on her lips. 

This got his attention, his eyes narrowing slightly. “When I couldn’t spot you there, I assumed you never made it.” 

“Haven’t you learned to assume nothing? There were masses of people at the festival. What made you think you’d actually see me?” 

“So you were there?” He clearly didn’t like that thought. 

“I didn’t say that either, did I?” 

He glared at her. “Don’t play games with me, Laura. Did you go to the festival, or did you not?” 

Her own ire began to rise. “Would you please take a rain check here, Richard? It was you who ordered me up here. It was you prying into my private life. Never mind that it is none of your business how I spend my private time and with whom.” 

He looked at her for a long moment, obviously contemplating his best approach. She held his gaze, willing him to make the first move. Finally, Richard’s expression relaxed slightly, but she knew him too well to not know that it was his public façade he was showing her now. 

“Look, I only don’t want you to be hurt. You deserve better than that. You deserve more than some bastard who leaves you hung out to dry at first chance.” 

“Oh, so would you please enlighten me what it is I deserve exactly?” Laura knew it might be better to bite her tongue, that it might be wiser in the long run not to get into a serious argument with the man who hadn’t just been her lover but was also her boss, but enough was enough. She could only deal with so much of his arrogance. What did he think she was? Something he owned? Something he was entitled to? 

“Do I deserve an affair with a married men who loves to have a mistress at his beck and call; a married man who doesn’t have to live up to any expectations or responsibilities because the mistress in question knew he was married when they first started their untoward affair? Do I deserve to be a mistress forever? You must be frakking kidding me.” 

Richard blanched under her onslaught of words, but Laura didn’t feel better for it. There was no gratification in having the upper hand in a discussion she never wanted to have in the first place. Not to mention that she would be royally frakked if Richard decided to bring this new animosity into their working relationship. 

“That’s not what I think, you should know that. That with us, Laura, is something special. In a perfect world I wouldn’t have married Jennifer but you, you know that, but we have to accept that we don’t live in a perfect world. Right now, I hardly have a choice. I can’t compromise my office. Once I won’t be president anymore, after some time has passed to settle into a new life, things will look different.” 

Laura slowly shook her head, barely able to refrain from balling her hands into tight fists. “Do you even believe this nonsense yourself? Let me see if I got this right, though. As soon as you’re not president anymore, you’ll wait for a few months before you’ll ask your wife for a divorce so that you can marry me?” 

“Well, yes, no, you see…,” Another man would have shifted on his seat; not Richard though, who still was rather poised, looking for the best way to wriggle out of a tight spot. She raised a tired hand, stopping the flow of words that was about to come. 

“Forget about it. There might have been a time when it would have mattered, but this time is in the past now. I start to think it’s been for a long time. This discussion, it will lead to nothing. You can’t promise me anything, and truth to be told, I don’t want anything from you.” 

“There was a time you were thinking different about this.” Richard got up from his seat, pacing up and down in front of his desk. “Look, it might very well be that you are hurt right now because this Bill didn’t treat you right, but it will pass, and there’s no shame in admitting that things didn’t work out as you would have liked. You should know that you can talk to me, that I’ll always be there for you.” 

Laura closed her eyes for just a second before getting up to her feet with deliberate slowness. She took up the cup of coffee, carefully cradling it in her hands. “Was there any official business we needed to conduct, Mr. President?” 

He watched her confused for a moment. “No, of course not, but…” 

“If you’ll excuse me then. I’m on a tight schedule today as well.” She turned her back to him, walking away from him as fast as she could without giving the impression of untoward haste. 

“Laura, where are you going? I don’t think we’re quite finished.” 

“I think we are, Mr. President.” She had reached the door, turning to him one last time. “And although it isn’t any of your business, I wasn’t at the fountain festival. We didn’t make it. Bill and I never left my apartment that night.” Not waiting for a reaction, she opened the door, closing it tightly behind her. 

Marla threw her a curious glance. “That bad?” 

“Worse.” 

“Sorry, Laura.” 

“Not your fault. I have to hurry now, though. Work’s still piling up. May I take the coffee with me?” 

“Sure, be my guest.” 

“Thanks, Marla. Talk to you later, all right?” 

She left the corridor quickly, relishing the emptiness of the staircase before breaking into muttered curses. She had always known that Richard possessed an ego big enough for two men, he actually needed it in his job, but never before had he shown that kind of arrogance in his dealings with her, at least not that she had been aware of it. That he just assumed she was ditched stung even if she wasn’t any longer interested in him. Laura didn’t have problems with self-confidence, never had, but that Richard obviously thought she might not be worth keeping angered her. ‘Stupid fraktard’. Still, she should have kept her mouth shut instead of insisting on having the last word. She could take the words back, though, didn’t really wanted to take them back. She sighed. Maybe Richard would cool down until their next meeting. 

She snorted. Maybe she would be the next president. Nodding at her aide in passing, she closed the door of her office behind her with more force than necessary. Sitting down at her desk, she reached for her glasses and took up the first file of many. 

 

*** 

 

“Are you looking for a refreshing bath again?” 

Laura’s eyes flew open at the sound of Bill’s gravely voice. She couldn’t help the smile instantly forming on her face. “Bill! What are you doing here? Have you been following me around, or are you waiting for another damsel in distress to save?” she teased. 

He sat down besides her, shedding his shoes and socks, letting his feet sink into the cold water with a content sigh. “I start to see the appeal of this. But to come back to your question, it is neither nor. I had a meeting with the admiralty regarding my next mission. We finished early, and I thought I might try my luck, see if the secretary of education had felt like some time outside of the office again.” 

Laura had already noticed that he was in uniform instead of civilian clothes. She had to admit that he looked good in it, positively dashing. Thoughts of stripping him slowly out of said uniform entered her mind, but she shoved them quickly aside. This was neither the time nor the place for that line of thinking. Nevertheless, she was delighted to see him. They had agreed upon another date on Wednesday, but as soon as he had left Sunday afternoon, even Wednesday had seemed to far away. 

This was crazy. She was crazy. It was the only explanation. Never before had she fallen head over heels in love. Relationships, like everything else in life, had to be approached with careful thought and consideration. Now, nearly all she could think of was when she would see Bill again. It was not even about the sex, which had been incredibly satisfying in a way that she had missed for so long; it was the way she felt when she was with him. Whenever he was with her, he gave her his complete attention, seemed to be genuinely interested in what she had to say; he made her feel like she was important if only to him. Bill made her feel like a woman again. A feeling she had almost forgotten over her years consisting of clandestine meetings with Richard. 

It wasn’t just crazy, it was insane. If she applied rational thought to any of this, she would have to say that Bill and she were way too different to work. They should be at each other’s throats. Civilian government versus military officer, stoic man versus passionate woman, poet versus pragmatist; there were more things discerning than uniting them, still she longed for his presence, wanted more of him. Yes, it was crazy and insane, yet she couldn’t help herself. She wanted more. More time with him. More of him. 

“Now that you found her, what do you intend to do with her?” They were facing each other, and the smile she could see on his face was mirrored on her own. 

“Oh, I thought I might ask her if she likes to have a cup of coffee with me, that is if her timetable permits it.” 

“I shouldn’t even have left the office, but my next appointment isn’t for another hour, so let’s go.” She got up swiftly, slipping into her shoes, waiting for him to catch up. 

“Rough day at the office?” 

She just nodded. “You could say that. But let’s not think about work now.” As much as she was still angry with Richard, it wasn’t something she wanted to share with Bill. If it was up to her, he didn’t need to know about her history as the president’s mistress. Not for as long as they didn’t know each other for some time longer, preferably never. “How was your meeting?” 

His mouth turned into a wry smile. “Much ado about nothing. Though, they told me that I’ll be sent onto another mission in two weeks.” 

“That soon?” She was surprised at the sudden feeling of hollowness. “For how long?” 

“Two or three weeks.” 

The joys of dating military men. Although she had never dated someone from the military before, some of her friends had, one of them even marrying an officer of the colonial fleet. She had often listened to their complaints of feeling strangely alone while their partners had been away, but she had never paused to think how she might feel in this kind of a situation. It seemed she was about to find out. 

“Looking forward to being back in space again?” 

Having tied his shoe laces, he got up from the ground. He stepped towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Somehow the thought of being out there doesn’t hold as much appeal anymore as it once had.” 

“Is that so?” 

“It is.” 

“Any particular reason?” Her voice had turned husky, her hands reached up, coming to rest on his chest. 

“Well, it’s that I got to know someone.” 

He was teasing her. She basked in this rare feeling of delight, the way it made her want to smile up at him again. 

“I see. Is she someone special?” 

“Who says it’s a she?” 

Laura bit her lip to refrain from laughing. “So it’s a he?” 

“Nope.” He was smiling at her, his eyes showing a tenderness that made breathing that much harder all of sudden. “And yes, she is someone special.” 

One of his hands wound into her hair, drawing her slowly to him until his mouth covered hers. It was a light kiss, one that was instantly followed by a more demanding one, his tongue trailing along her lips, urging them to part for him, which they did. Her body was tingling all over, and she let herself sink deeper into the kiss. 

She shouldn’t do this. Not here, not that close to work, never in public, but for once, she didn’t care. 

When they had to come up for air, he cupped her cheek, tracing her lips with the thumb of his left hand. “What about coffee now?” 

Coffee? What coffee? For a moment, she couldn’t stop looking at him, couldn’t tear her eyes away from the depth of emotion in his. Then the moment passed, a blush spreading on her face. She slowly eased out of his embrace. “Sure. Let’s go.”


	7. Chapter 7

Like any other cabinet meeting, this one simply was too long. Laura sighed. People were talking in circles, stating the same facts over and over again, shouting the same opinions as if on endless repeat. It was annoying, but even more so were those men and women who seemingly only raised their voices to hear themselves talk. If they would actually work goal oriented for once, they might be finished in half the time. 

Attending those meetings was one of the few aspects of her job that had always alienated Laura; talking but not saying anything, it was a concept she didn’t understand, something she didn’t want to understand. Although today this whole charade seemed to irk her even more than usual. 

The reason might be that Bill had left Caprica for a mission over a week ago. She missed him. Or it might be Richard who was looking at her more often than appropriate. There was something calculating about the way his head tilted and his eyes narrowed. She didn’t really want to know what was on his mind. 

A discreet look at her watch told her that this meeting should come to an end soon as nearly a third of the people assembled here were due for a flight to Tauron. Twirling a pen in her hand, she let her thoughts wander; everything to not have to listen to the secretary of communication venting his issues with the secretary of culture again. She wondered where Bill might be right now. True to his word, he had written her a letter, a long, thoughtful one at that, but it wasn’t the same as talking to him, being able to look at him while doing so. It was a source of surprise to her that a man who didn’t make a lot of words could be so articulate, so thoughtful in his penmanship. She bit her lips to stop herself from laughing out. This was ridiculous. There she was, well on the wrong side of forty and behaving like a teenager who had fallen in love for the first time. They didn’t even know each other for that long, they were different in so many regards, still… 

The sound of chairs being pushed back brought her back to the present. Obviously, the meeting was concluded. Taking up her papers, she prepared to leave herself only to be stopped by Richard. 

“Secretary Roslin, could you please stay for a moment?” 

No, she couldn’t, or rather said she didn’t want to, but saying no was hardly an option, not without raising suspicion anyway. So she nodded her consent, waiting for the room to empty. When the last one had left, Richard walked over to the conference room’s door and closed it. 

“We haven’t talked in over a week.” He leaned with his back against the closed door, effectively making sure that she couldn’t walk out on him like she had done last time they had spoken. 

She chose her words carefully, not wanting to get into an argument with him. “There was no need to. We’re still gathering data from the colonies to prepare the annual report, but you should have it within the next week.” 

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.” He smiled. “I want to know how you are.” 

“I’m fine. Thank you.” Oh please, he wouldn’t try to get into her good graces again, would he? Or should she say to get into her pants again. 

“How are things going with Bill?” 

“Everything’s fine, thanks for asking. How are things with you and Jennifer?” 

He looked not too pleased at her question, waving it aside, yet Laura didn’t feel satisfaction at having rattled his chains. 

“Fine, fine. So you’re still seeing him?” 

“Yes, I am. Is there anything else, Richard?” 

He approached her slowly, only coming to a standstill when he was well into her personal space. 

“Richard. No.” One of his hands wound under her hair, coming to rest at the back of her neck, the other grabbing her around the hip. Laura tried to free herself from him, but Richard’s grasp on her just tightened. Before she could voice another protest, his mouth covered hers. She gasped at the sudden contact, and he took the moment to slip his tongue into her mouth, searching for hers. With all the force she could muster, she pushed against him. 

He stumbled backwards. 

“What the frak do you think you’re doing?” he all but shouted at her. 

“Trying to prevent things from becoming worse than they already are,” she shot back. 

“What are you even talking about? Is it because of him, some military hunk? Does he frak so well that you forget all common sense?” 

Laura’s anger rose, and she was close to slap him. But not here, not with a bunch of colleagues and the press just outside the door. 

“I’m talking about that this has to end here.” There she’d said it, and the world hadn’t stopped turning. The consequence on her professional life would remain to be seen, though. “Look, we both always knew that our affair was wrong. We did wrong on your wife, and in the end, on ourselves, too. By the love of the gods, let’s part as friends, as colleagues and move on. It’s more than about time.” 

His eyes narrowed, and approaching her, he snarled. “And what will happen when your precious Bill isn’t interested in you any longer? Will you crawl back then, begging me to frak you? How do you even know that he isn’t just frakking some other woman right now?” 

She couldn’t hit him. He was the president for frak’s sake. She passed him, intent on keeping her distance, packing her bag. 

“The only thing I want is that this ends here.” Putting some pens and paper into her bag, she picked it up and turned, looking him straight into the eye. “This affair, Richard, it’s over, and you better get used to it.” 

He looked like he was about to say something, tension and anger visible in his every movement. She raised her hand. 

“Don’t. Just don’t. Let this sink in. You might see that it’s really for the best. I mean, didn’t we start out as friends once? Wasn’t it enough for the longest time? I used to like you, Richard, and I would love to be able to feel this again.” 

She quickly left the room, not sure if she had done the smartest or the dumbest thing she had done in a long time. 

 

*** 

 

Bill could arrive any minute. Laura hurried with the final touches of the dinner she had prepared earlier. She had just put it into the oven when her doorbell rang. Stupid as it was, she nearly broke into a run. Of course, it was Bill – who else? – smiling at her, a bag in one hand, a bouquet of flowers in the other. 

“Hey,” he softly greeted her. “It’s good to see you.” 

“You, too.” Finally remembering her manners, she stepped aside to let him pass. He was barely inside when she closed the door behind him and was on him, sealing his mouth with hers, pressing him against the door. He dropped the bag but not the flowers, his free arm reaching around her waist. They explored each other for what seemed to be minutes. They only let go when they had to part out of need for air. 

“You don’t want to re-enact our very first time, do you?” he asked, nibbling at her ear before kissing his way along her throat. Shifting, she bared her throat and neck to him, gave him better access. 

“No, my neighbour still refuses to talk to me.” 

He chuckled, kissing along the contour of her shoulder. Distracted, she congratulated herself for choosing to wear the strapless sweater today. Enjoying his attentions for just a moment longer, she withdrew from him. He eyed her curiously. 

“You know, I was enjoying what I was doing.” 

“So was I. But I would love to save these beautiful flowers. And I have dinner in the oven.” 

Remembering that he still held the flowers, he handed them to her. 

“As you might have figured, these are for you.” 

“Thank you.” She took them from him, kissing his cheek before stepping back with a sigh. “You know, I should have put you on the menu.” 

He chuckled, wanting to reel her in for another kiss, but she quickly got out of his reach. “No way. But maybe we can skip dessert.” She turned towards her living room to look for a vase. Taking up his bag from the ground, he followed her. 

“What’s in there anyway?” 

When he didn’t answer immediately, she turned to him. He looked uncomfortable. This was something she wasn’t used to from him. 

“Bill, what’s up?” 

He shrugged. “Nothing. It’s just some overnight stuff, just in case I might stay here tonight.” 

Laura had a hard time to hide her grin. So he had assumed he would stay the night and brought some things to make him comfortable. She liked this. She liked this very much. 

“Oh, so you would like to stay?” 

He shrugged. “Well, I just thought… but if you…” 

She let him see the smile she had contained so far. “I wouldn’t have let you go anyway. Truth to be told, I might keep you as my personal love slave. So, what exactly can I find in there? Anything I could sneak from you? A nice shirt?” 

He shook his head bemused. “Laura Roslin, you are impossible.” 

She resumed walking towards her living room. “Yes, I am. But that’s why you love me, isn’t it?” 

“Yes, it is. At least, it’s one of many reasons.” 

She had only been teasing him. His quiet, determined reply chilled her the same moment it made her heart soar. He was serious, wasn’t he? They didn’t even know each other for that long, and she was far away from being perfect. Gods, it had been years, decades since anyone had told her he loved her for the last time, even in such a roundabout way like Bill had. She bit her lip. It was not that her feelings for Bill didn’t ran deep. They did. But until this moment, she hadn’t dared to examine them closer. 

This was not the time to find out how deep in trouble she really was, it couldn’t be. If she admitted she loved him, she would make herself vulnerable, a feeling she didn’t like and tried to avoid at all costs. 

“You’ll have to tell me about the other things one time,” she finally offered. Maybe she didn’t have the right words to tell him her heart right now, but at least, she should let him know that she appreciated his emotional candour. She turned, walked over to him and kissed him with all she had, showing him her feelings this way. He replied fiercely, his tongue sliding along hers, making her groan out at the sensations he awoke in her. Desire washed over her, pooling at the apex of her thighs. How could a simple kiss reduce her to a smouldering mess? This time, it was him withdrawing from her. 

“Didn’t you say something about dinner and a vase?” 

He was amazing, and she had to suppress the urge to laugh. She had felt his arousal pressing against her, could see the prominent bulge in his pants, still he acted as if nothing had happened. He seemed composed while she felt everything but. She would get him for that. Later. Maybe she could… Yes, that sounded like a great idea. She smirked, finally getting a vase. In her kitchen, she took care of the flowers. Bill sniffed the air. “What did you prepare? It smells heavenly.” Not about to let herself be hurried, she finished with the flowers before she looked at him over her shoulder. 

“Libran potato casserole.” 

His eyes widened in surprises. “I love it.” 

“I know.” 

“But how? I’m sure we didn’t talk about it.” 

She grinned broadly. “Well, I had a little talk.” 

“With whom?” 

“With Marco.” 

“When did you speak to Marco?” His surprise was genuine. 

“A week ago. I wanted to cook you something nice and who knows better what you like than he does? Okay, maybe your ex-wife, but I didn’t feel like talking to her.” 

“Good you didn’t. I have a feeling you two wouldn’t get along very well?” 

“Really? Why is that?” 

“Let’s not think about her. So, you talked to Marco, huh?” 

“Yep, I spent a nice evening at his restaurant. I phoned him in the morning and went early before opening hours, intent to make him give me a recipe and leave.” 

Bill smirked. “Marco wouldn’t have let you leave that easily. He likes to talk, and he likes you.” 

She laughed. “You’re right. He gave me a recipe, we ended up talking, the restaurant opened, and from one moment to the other, I found myself chopping and cooking along with him. I stayed for long after the restaurant was closed. We had a nice talk and had some leftovers. He’s really someone else.” 

“Should I feel jealous now?” 

“No, he’s not my type. Could you pour us something to drink while I get the casserole out of the oven?” 

 

Dinner was quiet affair with only some casual talk in between. Laura didn’t eat much, wasn’t hungry. She enjoyed watching Bill digging into his food too much. He looked happy, content. The added bonus of not being on a timetable like with Richard was a bonus that meant more to her than she could possibly let on. 

When she’d gotten to know Bill, and even when she’d agree to their first date, she hadn’t thought about the future, she’d just wanted to enjoy herself. Now, though, the question what would come out of this was foremost on her mind more often than she cared to admit. What did she know about relationships? Her last ‘real’ relationship, one that was more than a brief affair and more than the casual frak, had been before Richard, close to fifteen years ago. It had ended the moment Alan had wanted more than she could give him, when he wanted to marry her while she wanted to be free. 

What would the immediate future with Bill look like? What did he want out of this? And how much was she willing to give? 

“What’s the matter, Laura? Don’t you like the food? It’s delicious.” 

“I know it’s great. I cooked it.” She laughed. “I guess I’m just not that hungry.” 

Bill looked down at his plate, picked up another piece of potato with his fork. “Anything on your mind?” The question was casual; there was nothing demanding to it. He didn’t even watch her which gave her the strength to voice some of the thoughts. 

“I like what we have here.” 

He looked up then. “As do I.” 

“I just wondered… ah, never mind.” She shoved a potato from one end of the plate to the other. 

“You wondered what?” 

She looked up at him. “I wondered where this, you know, me and you, might lead. I… I have a terrible track record. I’m everything but a poster child when it comes to relationships.” 

He smiled, self-irony written all over his face. “You think I am?” 

“I don’t know. At least, you were married for quite a while.” 

“Which I’m not any longer.” 

“Your ex-wife’s loss, my gain.” 

He took another bite, taking his time. “But to come back to your first question, I have no idea where ‘this’ might lead, but if I’m not mistaken, it’s not a casual fling.” He became more guarded, looking back at his plate before he went on. “At least not from my side.” 

“Not from mine either,” she confessed quietly. 

They shared a smile, a hesitant one on both sides, but no less sincere. 

“I couldn’t let you leave anyway, could I?” 

“Not that I’d want to, but why?” 

“Love slave, remember?” 

He chuckled. “How could I forget? I live to serve, Madame Secretary.” 

She winced at the use of her title, unbidden thoughts of Richard entering her mind. During the last days, he had been downright frosty to her, up to the point that several colleagues had given her queer looks, a few brave ones asking her what had him that riled up. So far, he hadn’t tried to attack her professionally, and neither had he tried to rekindle their affair, but knowing him, she was sure that she hadn’t heard the last of it. 

“You all right?” 

Laura had totally forgotten about Bill, if only for a moment. “I’m sorry. Yes, everything’s fine.” 

“Uh huh.” 

“I have trouble with someone at work. And when you called me ‘madame secretary’ it just came back to my mind.” 

“Must be an idiot then,” he stated with conviction. 

It made her laugh. “You bet he is.” 

When they had finished their dinner, they brought the dishes back to her kitchen, and Laura leaned with her back against the fridge. 

“So how about dessert? What would you like?” 

The feral gleam in his eyes was enough of an answer for both of them.


	8. Chapter 8

It was mobbing. Subtle as it was it didn’t change the fact. Richard wanted her head, wanted his revenge, and coward that he was, he did it the sly way. It had started with memos that never made their way to Laura’s office, had continued with snide side remarks during meetings with other secretaries present. Today, it seemed he was ready to escalate it another level when he addressed her during the bi-monthly cabinet meeting. 

“Secretary Roslin, as it seems that we’re progressing faster here than we expected, could you please present your budget forecast for next year. It shouldn’t prove that much of a problem, especially considering the fact that we talked the figures through during our meeting yesterday.”

He had to be kidding. Several pairs of eyes had turned into her direction, and Laura had to fight hard to keep her composure. They hadn’t talked her budget through; fact was they hadn’t talked at all. Sure, Richard had scheduled a meeting, only to ignore her when she sat in his office, talking to the prime minister of Virgon on the phone instead. As soon as he had finished the call which had taken him about half an hour, he’d looked at her and had told her they would have to reschedule. This was hardly anything she could voice in a cabinet meeting, though. No one would believe her anyway. 

Yes, she knew her figures well enough, but to be put on the spot like that… Taking a calming breath, she got up, and faced her colleagues, giving a slight smile before she gave them a brief report to the best of her knowledge. When she was finished, she sat down again, her eyes never leaving Richard’s. He quirked his left eyebrow before he smiled. Coldly.

“Thank you, Secretary Roslin. But I’m afraid I don’t quite understand. Didn’t you tell me yesterday that you thought that a ten percent decrease of your budget would be possible to achieve next year?”

Frakking bastard. “No, Mr. President. Maybe it came up in a meeting with another secretary…? I told you that a ten percent increase of budget would be needed to maintain the standard we achieved in the last years. As you know yourself, we have more students with high school diplomas and more students than in the last fifty years. But thanks to inflation, we need the increased budget to maintain schools and universities, to pay our teachers and professors. They don’t earn enough as it is, and a lot of them have to take up a second job to provide for their living. They…”

Richard shook his head. “It’s not the forum for this kind of speech, Secretary Roslin. We all have to decrease our budgets. See that you hand me a new budget plan with a five percent decrease of your planned expanses by the end of next week. Secretary Thomas…” He turned away from her, dismissed her as if she was a mere annoyance. The anger she felt made her heart beat rapidly in her chest.

When she was back in her office half an hour later, her hands were shaking. This was getting worse with the day. What would be the next step? Why did Richard insist on dragging her through the mud? Couldn’t he just get himself another mistress to toy with? At the beginning, with the first missing reports, she had shrugged it off, but by now, she dreaded to go to work, never knowing what to expect on any given day. Today could have gone badly, very badly. She had been prepared enough, but it had nothing else but a small wonder that she had taken a look at the figures only yesterday. Even then, the way he brushed her off had not only registered with her. Her colleagues had noticed that she’d fallen in disgrace. Right now, some of the other secretaries that had attended the meeting would be plotting how to remove her from office. This was how politics worked. Never mind that there’d come the day that she wouldn’t be prepared. It was nearly inevitable. She should really talk to Richard, try to make him see sense, but she didn’t trust herself around him. To talk to him she’d have to be calm, composed, not so angry that she felt she could emasculate him. Why did she even have to talk to him? She hadn’t done anything to deserve this treatment. Didn’t he realise he didn’t just harm her but her office, too? During the last years, she’d done one hell of a job; she was the right one for the position of secretary of education. Why did he threaten everything she’d achieved because of his childish, hurt ego? 

She wished she could talk to Bill. Not to tell him about all of this but to be comforted by his mere presence. However, Bill was on a mission, she didn’t expect him back for at least another three weeks. Somehow, it was funny. If it weren’t for him, she’d still be frakking Richard, and he wouldn’t have started this campaign to ruin her. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to feel sorry for her decisions. Bill was the best thing that had happened to her in a long time.

She leaned back in her chair. Yes, the decision for a relationship with him had been her best one in years. Although there was a certain irony in the fact that she had always craved for privacy in her relationships only to wish for less of it now that she had found happiness with a man whose job kept him away from her for weeks on a stretch. She wondered what he would say if he knew that she slept in the shirt he had left the last time he was with her. Well, maybe he hadn’t really left it, maybe she had snagged it out of his bag before he left, but it was hardly a crime, was it? It comforted her, even when his smell had been gone when she had washed it with her last laundry. No matter what though, she missed him, wished he was with her. They could spend a day in bed, just being lazy, do nothing but enjoy each other’s company.

Her telephone rang, and she opened her eyes reluctantly. 

“Yes?”

“Madame Secretary?”

“Yes, Julie?”

“The president’s secretary just called. Obviously, they need the report for the new budget by the end of tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Julie.”

Burying her face in her hands, she let out a shuddering sigh. 

 

***

 

Laura closed the door to her apartment behind herself, throwing her purse to the ground before she disposed of her shoes. Like in a trance, she walked over to her living room where she crashed on her couch, tucking her legs under her. She shook her head while the first tears started to run down her cheeks. Tears of anger, tears of frustration. How dare he? Today, she had gotten her budget report back for the fifth time in a row. Obviously, he wanted her to cut back another hundred thousand cubits. Attached to the report was a little note that if she couldn’t do the job properly, she could just tell him, and they could talk about her stepping back. Then there was her budget report from last year, one number that had been calculated wrongly circled in red. It had just been a mistake in the computer programme’s formula, it had only been a gap of two hundred cubits to what would’ve been the correct number. Still, he had sent it back as well, accusing her of sloppiness.

She couldn’t go on like this. It was an impossible situation. Her stomach was hurting nearly constantly, she couldn’t eat, she couldn’t sleep. The more she tried to deliver flawless work, the higher was the chance that she’d make a mistake, concentrating too hard on it. Not that this was all, though. She had noticed the whispers behind her back, had realised that some of her colleagues weren’t talking to her any longer. At the level Richard’s current line of mobbing accelerated, she’d be booted out of her job by the end of the month. 

And she couldn’t ask anyone for help. There was no help. It was a situation she couldn’t win. She couldn’t even call him up on it. He was the president for frak’s sake. Even if she wanted to make their former affair public, which wasn’t her style at all and something she’d never do, who would believe her? Some might have been suspected the truth, but Richard and she had been too careful to ever leave any real evidence. She took a deep breath, ignoring the sharp pain in her stomach. If this was a beginning ulcer… She hadn’t been able to eat something without feeling any pain for days, still she was reluctant to see a doctor about it. It meant taking time off from work, something she couldn’t afford at the moment. But this wasn’t a way to live, it couldn’t go on like this. She held her stomach as if it would help to suppress the pain, staring into the distance. 

The doorbell rang, snapping her out of her stupor. She hadn’t expected anyone. Why should she even open? She looked like a mess, felt like a mess. Deciding to ignore it, she got up, intent to wash her face and change into more comfortable clothes. Her cell phone started ringing just a minute later. Frak, couldn’t they just leave her alone? Shaking her head, she went to take up her discarded purse, took out her cell phone to have a look. It was Bill, but Bill was somewhere right now. He seldom called her on her cell phone, and she wondered why now. She contemplated for a moment if she was up for a call but decided to take it. If anything, Bill was one of the few things in her life that made it still worth it at the moment. 

“Hey, there.”

“Hey, where are you?”

“Where I am? At home, why?”

“Because I just rang and no one opened?”

“You’re here? But how, why? Shouldn’t you still be on your mission?”

He chuckled. “I’ll answer all of your questions, but maybe you should open the door first.”

“Just a second.”

She terminated the call, hurried over to the door buzzer and opened her door, waiting for Bill. It took a minute until the elevator door opened, and only when she saw Bill’s smiling face transforming into a worried one did she remember that she must look like hell from crying. She went back inside her apartment, waiting for Bill to follow her. He closed the door behind him, letting his bag drop to the ground before he gathered her in his arms, stroking her back in a soothing motion. Although she tensed up first, she relaxed in his embrace, more tears spilling forth, but this time, they brought her relief instead of turning her stomach into an even tighter knot. When she knew she had calmed down enough, she extricated herself from the embrace, hardly daring to look up at him. She was embarrassed by her sudden outburst, had no idea how to explain it to him. 

“What about a cup of tea, or preferably something stronger?”

“Certainly.”

As her stomach wouldn’t handle anything stronger than tea, she went to fetch a shot of Ambrosia for Bill before she prepared herself a tea. Bill had made himself comfortable on the couch where she joined him.

“What’s up, Laura?”

His calm eyes rested on her, drawing her in, but she resisted the urge to spill all of her worries.

“It’s nothing, just some stress at work. Nothing serious. So what brought you back to Caprica that fast?”

Bill shook his head. “Bullshit, Laura. If you don’t want to talk about it, then don’t, but please don’t lie about it.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you, but it’s complicated. It’s a frakking long story, and I’m afraid of what you might think of me if I told you the entire truth.”

There it was, one of her biggest fears, out in the open, and if he wanted, he could stomp all over it should he want to.

“There are some things in my life as well, I could tell you that I’m sure would make you think differently about me.”

“Tell me one.” It was a stupid thing to ask of him, and if he refused her, she’d understand.

He sighed, one of his hands reaching up, tousling his hair in the process. “Well, I hate to admit it, but once, during my marriage, I had a one night stand with some random woman. It was shortly after I learned that Carolanne had cheated on me for years. I know it’s not an excuse, but I can’t change it either.”

“I understand.”

“Do you?”

“Yeah, you were upset and an opportunity presented itself. That’s just human.”

“It doesn’t make it right, though.”

“No, maybe it doesn’t.” She snorted. How could she ever tell him about Richard if he thought having a one-night stand under these circumstances was wrong?

“Don’t think so much, Laura. Just tell me what’s wrong.”

“You won’t like it.”

“Why don’t you let me be the judge of it?”

She let out a laugh, propping her elbows on her legs, her head coming to rest on her hands. “We can’t just forget about it, can we?”

“Can you?”

She sighed. “No. I wish I could.”

“Just try me, Laura.” 

She risked a glance at him, his calm eyes resting on giving her the courage to start talking. ”I have trouble at work. Someone is trying to mob me out of business.”

“What is wrong?”

“It’s the usual, I don’t get all the information I need; not matter how well I did my job, it is belittled in front of everyone else. People have already started to talk behind my back, Bill. This is politics, it’s not a question if but when I’ll have to hand in my resignation.”

He put one of his arms around her shoulders, and although she cherished the contact, she was still afraid he’d back away should she choose to reveal the whole truth.

“But don’t you report directly to the president?”

“Yes, I do.”

“So as long as he is content with your work you should be fine, shouldn’t you? Or do the attacks come from someone who has the ear of the president?”

Gods, she couldn’t keep the truth from him forever. Not if she wanted this relationship to last.

“I was in a kind of relationship before we started to date. I… I basically stopped… seeing him when I agreed on our first date.”

“A kind of relationship?”

“Alright, an affair.”

“What does it have to do with someone attacking your work? Is it your ex-lover?”

Laura straightened up, turning to Bill, locking her gaze with his. If she wasn’t one thing, it was a coward.

“It’s the president attacking my work as you so aptly put it.”

He didn’t even flinch, just the briefest flicker of something she couldn’t interpret blazed in his eyes for a short second.

“So the president is your ex-lover?”

She simply nodded. What else was there to say? This was the naked, ugly truth. Now, it was up to him to condemn her, or to take her for what she was, what she had been.

“He didn’t take it lightly that you broke off with him?”

“No, he didn’t. He… he tried to rekindle our affair a few times, but I didn’t want this any longer. This with us, it felt right on some level. From the very beginning. I didn’t want to explore this possibility while having an affair at the same time. It wouldn’t have been fair to anyone. Although, I can’t say that I care for Richard’s feelings all that much at the moment.”

“What a jerk.”

Laura wasn’t sure she had heard correctly. “What did you say?”

“I said, what a jerk. Even if your affair with him has ended, he should value what you can give to his administration.”

Only now did she really feel the tension in her shoulders, in her whole body. Bill didn’t look as if he’d get up the next moment to leave without looking back.

“How long?”

“How long what?”

“Did your affair with him last?”

“Too long. We used to like each other. It was easy. It was convenient. I liked the easiness of it all. It fitted my life that couldn’t bear any more chaos at that time.”

“I had a relationship like that that, too.”

“You had? When?”

“Directly after my divorce. I wasn’t in a good place. A friend of Carolanne made a pass on me one night when I had too much to drink. She was married, too... We only met a few times, though.”

“It was longer than just a few times for me, Bill. We… sometimes it was like a real relationship only that no one was supposed to know about it.”

“Don’t worry about it any longer. It’s in the past now, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” she nearly whispered. “It definitely is.”

“I’m glad about it.”

“Me too.” She smiled.

“Laura, look at me,” he said when she dropped her gaze.

She looked up at him, and his eyes were watching her calmly now, the storm of earlier gone.

“Laura, I love you.”

It wasn’t just his words, but she could see is in his eyes, the way he smiled at her. He didn’t say it to console, not to make sure that they were okay. It was just a simple truth.

She opened her mouth, but his finger on her lips stopped her. His smile deepened before he leaned into her, brushing his lips against hers, and the gentle touch made her shiver. Withdrawing slightly, he looked at her.

“I know that it doesn’t look like it at the moment, but we’ll figure it out. Together. And that’s a promise.”

She took in a deep breath, tried a smile. Looking down at their hands which had joined on their own volition, she was surprised to find his left hand empty. Somehow she had gotten used to the sight of his wedding band, had accepted it as a part of him. Now it was gone, his hand looking naked without it, the patch of skin where it had rested for so long paler than the rest of the finger.

“You took it off?”

He didn’t even pretend he didn’t know what she was talking about.

“I don’t need it any more.” He voice was calm, and a small smile appeared on his face. “There’s no reason to be stuck in the past. It’s time to live the present, for the future, a future with you. During this mission, there was this boy, he asked me for money. His clothes were hardly more than shreds, his eyes big, hungry. I gave him the ring, knew he could sell it for quite some cubits.”

Thinking of others, that was typical for Bill. He was a good man. She stroked the skin where the golden band had been.

“Yes, you really don’t need it any longer.”

“I’ve got you.”

Three simple words, and they touched her deeply. Leaning in, she kissed him.


	9. Chapter 9

Nearing her office, her steps slowed down. She didn’t want to go into work, didn’t want to find out what this new day would bring. A ridiculous notion. Laura Roslin didn’t shy away for challenges, never had, never would. She turned to Bill who had insisted on taking her to work this morning. No matter which argument she had brought up, he wouldn’t waver, had just shaken his head no. Now, she was happy he had insisted, his mere presence comforting her. Although a bystander wouldn’t notice her nervousness, would deem her composed, serene, the emotion governed her. Bill beside her seemed to be a rock, one life wouldn’t easily overthrow. Was there anything that could make him nervous? There had to be. He was human after all; still, he seemed as if nothing could ever face him.

She stopped in front of the entrance. “Time to send you home now.”

His hands came to rest on her hips, his eyes resting calmly on her. “You sure?”

“Yes, Bill, I am. I can hardly take you into the office with me.”

A small smile curved his lips upwards. “Sure? You could tell them you had an urgent meeting with the military.”

If it only were that easy. “About what?”

“The military’s attempts to breach political barriers,” he said.

“Which means?”

“That I would rather take you to bed once more.”

He was completely deadpan, and some giggles escaped her against her will. Colleagues, employees she hardly knew were passing them, and she was throwing a fit. How professional.

“I think that is unfortunately not a possibility.”

“A pity.”

“That it is.” Leaning forward, she brushed his lips with her. “See you later for lunch?”

“Yeah.” This time, it was he kissing her.

Squaring her shoulders and suppressing the sigh that wanted to free itself, she entered her office, stopping when she reached her secretary.

“Good morning, Julie.”

“Good morning, Madame Secretary.”

“Is there anything urgent on my calendar this morning?”

“Actually, there is. The president requested a meeting with you at eleven a.m.”

Fantastic, that one hadn’t been on her list of things for today before, of that she was sure. What the frak could Richard want from her this time? Hadn’t he caused enough harm?

“Did he say what he wants?”

“No, ma’am. Only that it’s urgent, and that he expects you to be punctual.”

Laura took a calming breath. Julie looked at her as if she wanted to add something, was fidgeting on her seat.

“Yes, Julie.”

“Don’t mind me saying that, ma’am, but well…, see, the president called himself, not his secretary, and he actually sounded like he was in quite the mood. I thought you might want to know.”

Laura smiled. She didn’t feel like it, but she wouldn’t let anyone see her agitation. “Thank you, Julie. I like to be prepared. If that’s all, I’ll be in the office.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Stepping into her office space, she quickly closed the door behind her. Maybe she should’ve taken Bill up on his offer. At the moment, she’d like nothing better than to leave this place, her stomach beginning to churn with apprehension once again. It was of no importance, though. Contemplating her state of body wouldn’t get her job done, wouldn’t help her earn her paycheque.

Sitting down at her desk, she opened the first file for the day with one hand while her free arm clutched her stomach. She had survived many a day like that and would survive this one as well.

This way she worked uninterrupted for nearly two hours, her stomach slowly calming down. One of the few advantages of being an outcast was people calling her less and less. Laura Roslin didn’t have the ear of the president any longer so she wasn’t of any interest to the political sharks who would do anything to expand their own sphere of influence. If there was one good thing about this all, it was that she now knew who her friends and enemies were, although most people definitely fell into the latter category. 

It was laughable that having found private happiness was what proved to be her professional undoing. So it was really true, one always had to pay for one’s sins. And now, it was time for her to pay for hers. She wondered when Richard would have to pay for his.

A quick glance on her watch told her it was time to hurry for her appointment. Not that she really cared if she was late; Richard would find something to accuse her of no matter what. Taking a last few calming breaths, she left her office, smiled at her secretary before she made her way upstairs quickly. As soon as Marla saw her, a smile appeared on her face, a real one, something which had Laura smile back. At least, she never had to doubt Marla’s friendship. Richard might be her boss, but that was as far as her loyalties went. Soon after Richard had begun tearing into Laura, she had taken her aside, handed her a cup of coffee before she had let out a long, deep sigh.

“Well, now that the shit is hitting the fan, we’ll need patience, dear, you know that, right?”

Laura had simply nodded. There hadn’t been any good reply, and she hadn’t felt like wringing for words she hadn’t had. Marla had slung an arm around her shoulder and had squeezed tightly.

“Don’t let that ass get you down.”

It had been the last words they had ever spoken about it, but it had been enough.

 

***

 

“Hey, darling,” Marla greeted her when Laura had nearly reached her. “I don’t know if it’s good news or bad news but our beloved president isn’t in yet.”

Laura suppressed a sigh. It seemed it would be one of those days where he liked to keep her waiting.

“Want a coffee?” Marla asked.

“No, thank you.” As fond as she usually was of a good cup of coffee in and between throughout the day, any amount of this bitter liquid was the last thing her stomach needed right now.

Marla was about to say something when her telephone rang, and she rolled her eyes at Laura.

“Richard Adar’s office.” Pointing to a bottle of water on her desk, she listened to the other person, and just when Laura reached for the liquid, she heard a small gasp, followed by an ‘oh gods.’

She turned to Marla whose eyes were wide with shock. Laura felt worry creep up inside of her instantly, tried to catch the other woman’s eye but to no avail. Finally, after what seemed minutes but was most probably only a few seconds, Marla finished the call. Only then she looked at Laura, her eyes wide.

“Oh gods. Oh my gods.”

“Marla, what has happened?”

“I… no.” Without trying to explain, without waiting for a reaction of her, Marla set off towards one of their conference rooms. Laura followed her, a knot of anxiety building in her stomach. Once inside, she turned on one of the television sets, zapping through channels at a fast pace before she found what she had been looking for. Pictures of an accident site filled the screen, and Laura knew that she knew the car that was featured, all smashed, but it took a second for it finally hit home. It was the presidential limousine. Richard would have been in that car. Taking in a deep, forced breath she listened to the reporter.

“… only half an hour ago. It is not clear as of yet who was responsible for the fatal accident that cost two people’s lives. The only fact that could be ascertained so far is that the president was driving himself, something he liked to do from time to time. Looking around,” the camera took in the picture of the site, people on the sidewalks staring and crying, “I see shocked people who can’t understand that the most powerful man of the colonies has died.”

She had to get out of here, now. Getting up out as fast as she could, she didn’t pay attention to Marla, to anything. Out, all she could think about was to get out. She took the stairs, glad she was alone. In the reception area, people with shocked faces were watching the same report Marla had been watching. She walked faster, nearly ran.

Outside, she took deep breaths. No, this couldn’t be, Richard couldn’t be dead. Not a man so vital. He might have behaved like a pompous ass in the last months, but that didn’t mean she wished him dead. Gods, had he really been breathing, alive, plotting her demise about an hour ago while his lifeless body was lying in some hospital or the other now? No, no… she walked until she reached the river walk, the exact spot where she had met Bill for the first time. In a daze, she sat down, toed off her shoes before she cooled her feet in the water. That was when the tears started flowing.

No matter her relationship with Richard in the last months, there had been other times, times when they had respected each other, when there was a certain fondness between them, times when she thought she might fall in love with him. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end. He was too young to be dead. Willing her tears to stop falling, she looked into the distance, memories of the past on her mind. She could still remember the first time Richard had kissed her. It had been after a particular long day. One after the other had left until only the two of them remained in the small office. They had ordered take-out, had joked even when their eyes had been tired after nearly fifteen hours of work. They were about to finally leave when a file had slipped from Laura’s tired hands. Both had bent down to pick it up, and before Laura knew it, she was in his arms, his eyes burning into hers as he claimed her mouth with a fascinating mixture of hunger and tenderness. Back then, he had even had the decency to lead her into the next office with a couch. That night, they had frakked, yet it had been more than a simply carnal coupling. It had been a frak between friends with too much sexual chemistry between them. Over the months, their affair had become more heated before it had slowly calmed down, before it had become routine.

She shook her head, tried to calm her breathing, willed the nausea welling up in her away. The man most prominent in her life for over a decade was dead. No, she couldn’t understand it.

“It’s not really a relief, is it?” Bill’s quiet voice alerted her to his presence. He sat down beside her, and she only looked at him. She didn’t know what to say. There were so many things running through her head, too many. What was he doing here anyway in the middle of a day? She didn’t ask, wasn’t even interested. All she knew was that she was thankful for his presence.

“Come here,” he said, and she could see in his eyes that he understood. Maybe because he was a soldier, because he had seen too much death and desperation in his life. She was grateful for the comfort he offered as she sank into his embrace, content to do nothing but stare ahead into space for the moment. What was it about this man that soothed her, gave her a peace of mind she hadn’t found with any man before?

“I didn’t want it to end like this,” she finally confessed.

“I know. It hurts, doesn’t it?”

She nodded, knew he would feel it even when he couldn’t see it.

“I… we went through so much together. I hated what had become of Richard lately, but I am sorry for the man he used to be, if that makes any sense.”

“It does.”

She trembled, couldn’t stop it. “What now? What frakking now?”

“Now, you’ll go grab your stuff, and then we’ll go home and make sure not to turn on the TV or the radio for the next day. There’s nothing you can do, Laura. You have to live your own life. But that can wait for another day.”

She knew he was right and slowly got up, offering him her hand.

“How about a soak in the tub and a day in bed?”

It might have been a shallow suggestion, it might have been the best suggestion at the time being, she didn’t know. All she knew was that she needed him to be her anchor if only for a moment. They might not know each other for long, maybe it was careless to give her heart just like that, but she didn’t want to resist the pull of this man.

Giving her a small, but real smile, he took her hand.


	10. Chapter 10

Flipping her over, he grinned at her, kissed the pout off her face.

“I liked being on top,” she said, pulling his face down to hers once more when he was about to raise himself. Only when they were both breathless, she let go of him, and he got up on his arms, towering over her. 

“I like being on top, too.”

“And now?” she asked, even when she knew she wasn’t in a position to negotiate.

He smiled the smile that always made her want to reciprocate or kiss him breathless, and began to thrust into her once more. Lifting her legs and curling them around his waist, she tried to pull him closer.

It felt good, so gods damned good. He knew her body, knew her mind, knew how to make her feelings spiral out of control until she only lived for these moments with him.

She tried to keep her eyes open but lost the fight, the sensations he teased out of her too much to process. It was good, too good. They soon lost their rhythm, their lovemaking bordering on frenzied. One of her hands was raking up and down his back, the other holding on to the sheets underneath her. Her back arched, and she let out a loud moan. Lowering himself, he took her mouth, kissed her breathless, biting her bottom lip before he marked her neck. Faster, harder, their bodies slick with sweat, she still wanted more, needed more.

Her orgasm hit her without warning, and light exploded behind her shut eyes. Only dimly she registered Bill’s loud groan when he followed her over the edge.

For some moments or even minutes, she didn’t move, allowed her limp body to cool down, to fight its way back to consciousness. What a way to start the day.

With a start, her eyes opened, and she pushed at Bill’s chest. He hadn’t collapsed on her, was supporting himself on his elbows but he was in her way nonetheless.

“Bill, I gotta get up, I’ve a meeting in about an hour, and you said something about a meeting with…”

She didn’t have to finish, he was out of the bed before she had the chance to finish her sentence. There was something scary about military men.

“Care to share the shower,” he asked while he left for the bathroom.

“It doesn’t matter if I care for it or not, I don’t think we have a choice,” she called out, setting off after him. When she reached the bathroom, the water was already running, and Bill was inside the small cubicle. Stepping inside to him, she didn’t directly reach for the soap but took the time to take Bill in. She wasn’t used to such intimacy with a man, hadn’t shared so much of her life with anyone in years. But she couldn’t only give half with him, Bill was an all-or-nothing man, and nothing wasn’t an option.

Dammit, he was the only man who had made her late in every so long. No matter how much she hurried now, she’d never make it in time. Not that she cared. Since Richard’s death slightly over two weeks ago, things had been different. The vice president, turned president, was still busy finding his footing, and the government was struggling with its daily tasks. As much as Laura was still shaken over Richard’s death, she was glad that the attacks against her person, her office had ceased. It almost seemed that without Richard initiating any insults on her integrity, people had lost their interest in her altogether. Though, Marla might have her hand in this as well. President Hopkins had decided to keep her in place, to make her his personal secretary instead of brining his own secretary with him, and Laura knew these two had a good relationship, had even met outside of work a few times. If she wasn’t quite wrong Marla’s husband and he shared an interest in golf and used to frequent the same club. 

“Don’t think so much,” he said, pulling out of her reverie.

“Yes, sir,” she said, snapping a fake salute that had him smile.

“I think we’ll have to practice that at some point. Even the nuggets manage better than you do.” 

He wanted to reel her in for a kiss, but she shook her head no. “As nice an idea as it is, I really have to go to this meeting.”

Leaning in, he gave her a quick kiss. “Well, let’s talk about that again later.” 

“If ‘that’ means the kissing and not the saluting.”

A smile was his confirmation, and she readily returned it. For a brief moment, she closed her eyes, let herself feel the happiness he evoked in her. After not caring for her life for so long, after existing instead of living, she was glad for his presence in her life. Things wouldn’t necessarily be easier with giving her trust to another human being so freely, but it was a step into the right direction. She wanted to live, wanted to enjoy her life with him.

They did a quick job with the shower, and once they were out, they wrapped towels around themselves, Bill reaching for his shaving razor, Laura reaching over his arm for her toothbrush, ignoring the little scowl he sported. Gods, she would miss him when he had to leave for his next mission. She watched him going through the movements of shaving, smiled at the look of intense concentration on his face. Somehow she felt reckless this morning, a fact she entirely blamed on Bill, and his interesting ideas about how to start a day.

“You look cute,” she let out, rinsing her mouth, not really sorry to feel her towel slide to the ground. When he winced, then growled, she couldn’t contain the laughter while still reaching for some paper towel to wipe the blood from the tiny cut.

“Next time I shave I’ll throw you out.”

“Out of my own bathroom?”

“Whatever does the trick.”

The expression on his face was stern, but she could see a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“And there I wanted to kiss it all better.” Flashing him a smile, she reached for her towel to wrap it around herself once more. Grabbing some facial cream, she opened the lid while Bill finished shaving. He was watching her, and there was something in his eyes, that caught her by surprise. She raised her eyebrow in question, but he simply shrugged.

“I’ll go grocery shopping later in the day,” he said. “Anything I should bring?”

“How about steak for dinner,” she asked.

“Sounds good. Will do.”

Putting the cream away, she softly rubbed it in.

“Long meeting?” he asked.

“Just the usual… two or three hours of listening to complete nonsense.” He walked around her to put the towel in the hamper, stepping back in, reaching for his toothbrush.

“Sounds entertaining.”

“It will be.”

He reached for the toothpaste. “Marry me.”

She looked up at him, wondering for a moment if she heard him correctly. But he was still busy with applying the toothpaste. Only when he was done, he looked up, smiled, and she knew she had heard him correctly. Gods, he couldn’t…

“Yes,” she said, rubbing the last of the cream in.

“Great. How about we marry at the river walk?”

“Sure, but not this week, too many meetings, I’d be free next week, on Tuesday or Wednesday.”

“Wednesday sounds fine.”

“But don’t you think you’ll get me wet again. I’m not going to take another dive.”

“Well, let’s talk about getting wet later. I thought it’s been something for after the ceremony anyway.”

Hitting his chest lightly, she grinned, kissed him tenderly before she left to find a dress for the day. Something told her it would be a good one.

THE END


End file.
